The Seventh Circle
by DreamWeaver619
Summary: JeffHardy was chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies.JeffxMaria Featuring:Matt,Undertaker,Kane,Batista,Umaga,JohnCena
1. The Abduction

Disclaimer: All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge...

000

_"And there's the swanton bomb off a 20 foot ladder by Jeff Hardy!"_

_"That boy is indestructable...!"_

_"Six time tag-team champion..."_

_"Three time intercontinental champion...!"_

_"Jeff Hardy will not die...!"_

Two shadowy figures watched young man flying across the screen, powerfully taking down his opponent with graceful wildness.

"That's him..." A voice like gravel under the soles of shoes. "Bring him to me."

000

Jeff Hardy groaned and carefully stretched his back. Shelton Benjamin had rolled out of the way of his swanton bomb and the ring canvas only forgave you so much. He still won the match with relative ease, but no doubt the next morning his back would be completely black and blue. His match with Shelton had been one of the last so the locker room was practically empty except for himself, and Benjamin who was taking a shower and the security guards outside.

Jeff unscrewed the top of his water bottle and was about to take a drink when he heard Benjamin calling from the shower area. "Anyone still out there?"

"Yeah?" Jeff answered warily.

"Hey man could you bring me my new bottle of Axe bodywash. It's in my bag."

"Do I sound like Yo' Mama?" Jeff called back indignantly then took a sip of his water.

"Do you really want me to come out there?" Shelton laughed. "They only left me the short towels."

Jeff nearly choked on his water. After a couple of coughs he found his voice. "No, no. You stay right there." Hardy set down his water bottle and began rummaging around in Shelton Benjamin's duffel bag. "You want blue lettering or red lettering?"

After a moment of thought Shelton came to a decision. "Red."

"Of course." Jeff muttered under his breath as he walked toward the showers. When he reached the corner, he averted his eyes and held out the axe bottle. "Come an' get it."

"Can't you bring it to me?"

"No way man,." Jeff chuckled. "Unless you suddenly turned into a Diva Superstar, you're on your own." Jeff set the bottle down at the edge of the showering area and head back to the locker room.

He picked up his water bottle again this time taking two large gulps before setting it down and continued packing his things into his duffel bag. He closed his eyes and winced a little as he hefted the bag onto his shoulder and his bruised back moaned in protest of the extra weight.

When he opened his eyes the room tilted slightly. He shook his head to shake off the dizziness.

"Are you all right Mr. Hardy?"

Jeff jumped at the unexpected voice and turned to see one of the security guards. Automatically, Jeff took a few dizzied steps back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I think I just jostled my brains around a bit to much."

"Are you ready to head back to the hotel sir?"

"Yeah, I think some sleep'll do me some good." Jeff followed the security guard out into the hall way.

Jeff staggered along after the security guard, meandering through the hallway toward the garage where the drivers would drive him back to the hotel. He blinked his eyes several times trying to clear his vision, but grew more and more dizzy with each step.

"Hey man can can we stop for a second? I'm not feeling so good." Jeff put a hand over his eyes hoping the dizziness would pass.

"It's just through here sir." The security guard opened a door and motioned for Jeff to go through.

Jeff slowly staggered through the door and ended up outside. He shivered a little in the night and his already blurry vision was having trouble adjusting to the dark. Three figures including the security guard stood next to a larger black Nissan Pathfinder, and opened the door for Jeff to get in. The young Hardy hesitated for split second, he was getting a weird feeling in his gut, the kind he got when something wasn't quite right. However, he disregarded the feeling attributing it to the dizziness and injury from the match, then got into the SUV. He settled into a corner next the window and using his duffel bag as a makeshift pillow he shut his tired eyes and drifted into the dark river of sleep.

000

Matt Hardy yawned as he made the last two steps down the stairs into the breakfast area of the hotel. He spotted Brian Kendrick sitting at one of the tables in front of the TV eating cereal and watching the news.

"Hey, Kendrick." Mardy greeted the young tag-team champion. "Where's London?"

Kendrick finished his last few bites of cereal then answered. "Sleeping. He always sleeps in real late when we don't have a match."

Matt chuckled and poured himself a cup of coffee before settling down on the couch himself. "What are you watching?"

"The news." Kendrick shrugged. "I want to see how the Mariners did last night."

Matt Hardy nodded and sipped his coffee. He was about to leave when news report came on that caught his interest.

_" We were informed just the few minutes ago that the young WWE superstar and fan-favorite Jeff Hardy has been missing for almost 14 hours. He was last seen being escorted by a security guard to the garage area, however there are fears that he might have been abducted. He have tried contacting the McMahons, but they are refusing all questioning at this time. We will be keeping you updated as more information comes in. In the meantime this is Kelly Wright for Fox News..."_

Kendrick stopped chewing his cereal in mid crunch, and the cup of coffee dropped from Matt Hardy's hand.

_Jeff..._

0000

i Well my first posted fanfiction featuring characters from the WWE. I've been a fan of Jeff Hardy for quite awhile now and I hope I do him justice in this fic. Don't ask me where I got the idea for this fic, it just sort of popped into my head one day.

Please review and let me know what you think of the story, at least let me know if you are interested in the idea! /i 


	2. The Torture

Disclaimer: All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge...

000

Jeff Hardy woke with a start when something cold and wet was dumped on his face. He sat up and coughed, then the world started spinning, and his vision blurred. However, he could make out grey walls and the shapes of people standing around him. Suddenly, several hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back down the ground.

His vision cleared little as his adrenaline began to rush in the response to being held down. His eyes frantically danced around his surroundings, taking in ancient stone walls, and cloaked hooded figures standing all around him.

"Who are you? What is this?" Jeff struggled to get free of his captors, but they kept him firmly pinned to the ground.

"It is an honor..." One of the cloaked men stepped forward and spoke in a voice like gravel under the soles of shoes. "You will be the vessel through which the destroyer will do his work."

"Vessel? Destroyer? What the hell are you nutjobs talking about?" Jeff stammered, his heart beginning to pound inside his chest. He made another jerk to get free of the men pinning him to the floor, but to no avail.

Instead of answering, the head man motioned for one of the other cloaked men surrounding them to come forward, and kneeled down at Jeff's side. The man lifted his head to look up at the ceiling. He spoke as if receiving the greatest blessing known to him. "My blood, the first to be shed in the cleansing of the world. All I have, I give to you."

The crowd began to chant a mantra that Jeff could not decipher, though his thoughts were not on the chant of the crowd, but on the huge knife the headman pulled from under his robes. He walked over to the kneeling man and without a second thought ran the blade across the kneeling man's throat.

Jeff Hardy's jaw dropped as his eyes followed the streams of red flowing down the man's neck.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Jeff screamed, redoubling his efforts to get free, despite the fact his head was starting to spin again and ache. His adrenaline was pumping at full force, he brought up his leg, hitting one of the men holding him down. The man let go of Jeff's arm, and quickly capitalizing on it, the daredevil Hardy punched the other man holding him down with his free arm. Now free, he jumped to his feet and bolted.

Unfortunately, as soon as he was upright his vision took another spin and threw off his balance, so his run turned into a stagger. The wind was knocked out of him when one of the cloaked men tackled him down. This time more hands reached out to hold him down, pinning both his arms and his legs.

"No! No!" Jeff cried, as fear took over his mind, fear that would he would meet the same fate as the acolyte who now lay dead on the floor. "God help me."

"God is dead, if he were alive our world would not be in this turmoil." The leader walked up to him, a bowl with drops of red blood dripping down the side in one hand, and the large blood stained knife in the other. "The keeper of the seventh gate of hell will come and rid this world of the violent ones, then it can be renewed and rebuilt."

"You're fucking crazy man!" Jeff growled.

The man set the bowl down and raised the knife. Jeff gulped and felt involuntary shivers run through his body as the realization that his throat might be slit or his body cut up finally sunk in. However, instead the headman wrapped his hand around the blade of the knife and held it over the bowl allowing his own blood to drip down the blade into the bowl. When he had finished he motioned to his associates, who rolled up Jeff's shirt, exposing his abdomen.

The head man dipped a brush into the bowl, covering the bristles in thick red, before beginning to draw a rather intricate design on Jeff's stomach. The young Hardy remained relatively silent frantically trying to think of a way to get out of this before they decided to turn the painted bloody lines into real ones with his own blood in the mix.

When he had finished the painting, the head man placed a hand in the middle of the design just over Jeff's belly button, and began another chant.

Jeff felt a painful burning sensation in his abdomen. It was the same pain he felt when he got the tattoo on his right arm. Except it was worse, the pain seemed to seep down, deep below the skin attacking every nerve in its path. Jeff bit down on one of his braids that hung near his mouth to help contain the screams that wracked his body. Suddenly there was a surge, and a shockwave coursed through his body, causing all of his muscles to contract at once, making him arch up from the floor. He was lost in the confusion of neuronal hysteria, and the storm of pain, pain, _pain...!_

000

"No, dad they haven't given me anymore information. You know I'd call you if they had." Matt held his cell phone up to his ear while his other hand was getting exercise with the remote control, cycling through the news channels for any developments on his brother. "I know dad...I'm worried about him too...I'll let you know if anything happens, bye."

There was knock on Matt's hotel room door. Shannon Moore and Ashley entered the room and plopped down next to Matt on his bed. If Matt noticed their presence he didn't acknowledge at, only keeping his eyes on the television and his finger on the channel button of the remote control.

"You okay, man?" Shannon asked carefully.

"I think that's dumbest question you could ask me right now," Matt snapped, still not looking at either of them. "Of course I'm not okay! Jeff's been missing for two days, had drugs slipped into his water bottle by a security guard, taken to God knows fucking where, and the police don't know jackshit!"

Matt got up and began to pace around the room. He was having trouble deciding on whether to be angry or scared, as the full weight of the situation was bearing down on him again.

"Come on Matt, this isn't healthy," Ashley jumped up and stood in front of the older Hardy, momentarily stopping his nervous pacing. "Go workout, you said yourself it always helps you focus. If nothing else, if you get mad you can always throw your weight around," Ashley smiled nervously, hoping Matt would take to the quip and relax a little.

Matt stared at her for moment then let out an amused snort, and a very small smile threatened to tug at his lips. "I'll try..."

"Then what are we waiting for man?" Shannon helped Ashley pull Matt toward the door. "To the weight room!"

When the three arrived in the weight room, they found they were not alone. Batista was in the corner lifting weights, London and Kendrick were sparring in an empty area off to the side, with Jimmy Wang Yang as the referee.

Matt immediately headed over to the treadmill for a warm up run before lifting weights of his own. Shannon and Ashley followed suit and they all began at a gentle jog, then gradually increased the speed and incline, all varying depending on their fitness level.

With the pounding of his feet on the treadmill, Matt vowed he'd find Jeff and beat up whoever had taken him. After about ten minutes of hard running up hill, he vaguely registered Shannon yelling at him, "Slow down man or your lungs are going to explode." Matt noticed how out of breath he was and quickly switched to the "cool-down" phase, to bring his heart rate and breathing down slowly. When he got them under control, he hopped off the treadmill and took a big gulp from his water bottle before heading over to the weights. "Hey, where'd Ashley go?"

"Oh she's over there watching her two tag-team bitches." Shannon chuckled, motioning over to where Ashley was watching London and Kendrick.

"Hey Matt! Shannon! Come over here." London called trying to keep Kendrick in a headlock. "Let's have a five man tag-team match! Ashley can referee."

"What do you mean referee?" Ashley said in mock indignance. "I'll take all you bitches out."

There was a moment of silence before everyone burst into fits of laughter, even Matt managed a small chuckle.

"She'd do it too." Batista said, earning another round of chuckles.

"So you guys in or out?" Kendrick managed to slip out of London's headlock and pulled London into one of his own.

"No Thanks." Matt waved a hand before going to the benchpress.

"I'm in!" Shannon called running over to the ring.

"Hey, I need a spotter over here man." Matt called over to them from the barbell bench.

"I got you covered." Batista came over.

"Oh, thanks." Matt nodded settling down on the bench under the barbell. He was genuinely surprised at Batista's offer, since The Animal had lost his World Heavy Weight Championship title to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 23 he had been in foul mood and had been stand-offish and cold to everyone around him who wasn't a fan.

"Any news on your brother?" Batista asked softly, after Matt had done two reps.

"Nothing." Matt growled pushing the barbell up. His anger was not directed at Batista, but at the inability of the authorities to find out anything. Of course it had only been two days, but every hour that ticked by made Matt wonder what was happening to his brother at that moment. Was he dead or alive? Was he locked away some where? Was he being tortured by whoever held him captive? There were lots of crazy people out there. Matt brought the barbell up again, completing another rep.

"I'm sure they'll find him, the police force is pretty good around here." Batista said assuredly.

"Oh, I'm sure they will find him. I just hope they don't find his dead body on a riverbank." Matt gritted his teeth bringing the barbell up, then down and up again. "Shit...I hope he's okay."

"Jeff's tough. He'll be all right." Batista carefully monitored Matt's movements, looking for signs of fatigue.

"Yeah, but even a tough person can't fight back if their drugged up." Matt pushed the barbell up with extra vigor.

"Was he on drugs?" Batista's sympathetic voice turned serious.

"No!" Matt blurted out at the shock what Batista was implying. He lost his concentration and needed Batista to help him lift the barbell up again and get it back on the holding bars. Matt sat up panting. "The security camera's caught one of the security guards putting something in Jeff's water bottle, while Jeff was in the bathroom."

Batista's eyes widened a little in shock. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to say..." the Animal trailed off when Matt began pacing around again, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Fuck. He's out there somewhere, drugged up and I can't do any-fucking-thing about it!" Matt stopped and sat down on the bench, breathing hard through clenched teeth, his fingernails digging into his knees.

Batista shifted uncomfortably, he never seemed to know exactly what to do in these situations, and just went with his instincts. Hesitantly he reached out and put a hand on Matt's shoulder and gently squeezed it.

By this time the others had taken notice of Matt's reccuring distress and came over to help Batista comfort the elder Hardy. Just then Matt Hardy's theme song played as his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Shannon answered it, as Matt seemed in no mood to talk to anyone. "No, this is not Matt, but he's not feeling very good right now, what do you want with him?"

Shannon was silent for a moment as the person on the line talked. However, his eyes grew progressively wider as the talker went on. "No shit! I'm sorry, I'm just glad that's all, I'll put Matt on."

Matt lifted up his head at the mention of his name, and Shannon turned to him excitedly. "They think they've found Jeff!"

"What?" Matt's dim, sad eyes snapped wide open in disbelief.

"Yeah, they're on their way to the location they suspect. Now they want to talk to you." Moore handed Matt the phone.

"Hello? Hello? This is a Matt." Matt rasped, his heart pounding with both hope and dread.

_"This is the chief of police, we've received an anonymous tip as to the whereabouts of your brother."_ The police chief's gruff voice, relayed the information, firmly, but not harshly with some warning in his voice. _"We're sending officers over there now. In all honesty we don;t yet know if your brother is alive. We want you to come down to the station and be on stand by to identify him when we find him."_

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be down there in a minute." Matt answered, already starting for the door.

"You want us to come with you?" Ashley started after him, closely followed by Shannon.

"Yeah..." Matt said slowly. "Just in case..."

000

_Poor Jeff is not having a good day, and Matt's wasn't much better. Will the brothers be reunited? And was this "destroyer" the leader of the worshippers kept harping on?_

_Find out next time..._

_Please review and let me know what you think of the story, at least let me know if you are interested in the idea!_


	3. The Brothers

Disclaimer: All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge...

000

Jeff Hardy shivered as the cold of the room wrapped around him like the frigid arms of an icy bride. He curled into a protective ball as much as he could, but the sphere of warmth was not complete. His arms were bound by shackles wound around a metal pipe above his head. His wrists and forearms wore bruises from failed attempts at freedom, and his whole body ached from the torture inflicted upon him for making those attempts.

He could not remember being brought into this room, when cold stone was replaced by colder glazed ceramic tiles, when wooden doors and ancient tapestries were traded for metallic closures and leaden pipes. He guessed it was some time after the fifth time they tortured him. All Jeff did remember was the tile floor being under his back when leader activated the insignia and sent shockwaves through his body for a seventh time.

By the eighth time Jeff had gotten used to the pain and regained control of his voice from screaming and vowed revenge against them with every breath. He was tortured a ninth time in retaliation for his threats of vengeance. By the tenth time he had just gone numb and spoke no more. It was only after he stopped screaming and his eyes had gone dead that they stopped their torture. They bound him to the pipe, and just left him there.

How long they had been gone, he didn't know. When they would come back, he didn't care. He didn't care about much of anything at the moment. Even when the door to the room suddenly burst open and five men dressed in blue, armed with guns stormed into the room, Jeff paid no heed to them. He sat there starring straight ahead with lifeless eyes.

It was only when one of the men touched his shoulder to see if he was alive that he moved, only to curl tighter into his protective ball.

"Are you Jeff Hardy?" One of the men shouted at him.

Jeff made no move to answer. Suddenly that name meant no more to him than any other words the man spoke. His mind and body had been put through too much and had shut itself off to the world as a defensive measure, keeping only the primal reflexes open for survival purposes. There was only one voice he would listen to, only one that could convince him that it was safe to come out of his apathetic shell.

_Only one..._

000

Matt Hardy tapped his foot impatiently while he waited in the back of the police car. He watched with disdain as the vans of the news media arrived on the scene to pick up the story be it happy or ill. Either way it would get ratings for them. Still he couldn't tear his eyes away from the large warehouse outside the car window, the place where his brother was being held.

_Alive I hope..._

He momentarily tore his line of sight away from the building when Shannon gently kicked him in the leg.

"You're my best friend, but that tapping was really starting to piss me and these two nice police officers off," Shannon good naturedly patted his friend on the back.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous I guess." Matt let out a deep breath of air. "I'm about to find out whether Jeff is alive or not..."

Shannon opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as he realized anything he said would sound stupid or trivial in this tense situation.

Suddenly, one of the officer's walkie-talkies crackled to life. "Anderson? Have you found him yet? Over." the officer answered.

"Yeah. We think we have, he fits the pictures. Over," Anderson answered.

"Well is he alive? Over."

Matt Hardy held his breath.

"Yeah..." Anderson began

Matt Hardy exhaled and Shannon patted him on the back.

"Though he's not responding when we tried talking to him." Anderson continued. "Have you got the older brother with you? We'll need him to make the official identification. The area has been secured. Over."

"We've got him, we'll be in in a few minutes. Over and out." the officer finished, then looked back at Matt. "They think they've found him alive, you'll need to make the identification. You ready to go in?"

"Hell yeah!" Matt Hardy looked ready to bust out the window.

They were immediately bombarded by the media, with a flurry of questions and flashing cameras. The two officers and Shannon managed to shield Matt from the brunt of the media onslaught.

Once inside the warehouse they were met by the officer named Anderson. "Which one of you is Matt Hardy?"

"I am." Matt answered firmly although he was quaking with dread on the inside that they were going to tell him that Jeff was dead at any moment.

"Follow me. Jackson see if you can keep the media out of this until we're finished." Anderson turned and began walking down the hallway.

Matt looked quickly back at Shannon. "Go on man, I'll help keep the nosy newsies at bey." Shannon smirked.

Matt smirked back before turning and following Anderson.

"Your brother is alive, but in a catatonic state. He's not responding to anything." Anderson started explaining once Matt caught up with him.

"Shit..." Matt Hardy whispered. He hadn't considered this, his brother was alive, but in a really messed up state of mind.

Anderson offered some comfort. "Hopefully seeing you will snap him out of it."

"Yeah..." Matt murmured, swallowing hard as they approached a room that had several police officers, he guessed that's where Jeff was.

"I can't say blame him. If I was covered in blood, chained in a bathroom that looks like a replica of "SAW" I'd be catatonic too." Anderson grimaced.

Matt felt his heart stop for a moment. _Covered in blood?_

"JEFF!" Matt bolted away from Anderson, toward the room.

Jeff lifted his head as a voice pierced the impermeable darkness that had cloistered him inside his own body. He listened carefully, yearning to hear it again, praying that it was indeed the one voice that could pull him from the darkness.

"Jeff!"

Yes. He had come.

Jeff suddenly became aware of the man who was trying to unlock the shackles around his wrists. The room he was in eerily reminded him of the bathroom in the movie "SAW". He looked around anxiously for the source of the voice he had hoped would be there when he came out of the darkness.

"Matt...?" He whispered.

As if on cue Matt Hardy appeared in the doorway. Jeff automatically went to lunge at his brother and embrace him, however the shackles held fast. The metal bonds compressed in on his already bruised wrists causing him to gasp and double up again in pain.

"Jeff!" On seeing his brother in pain Matt tried to bridge the three feet between them, but was held back by the officers. "What the hell man? Jeff's hurt!"

The two brothers locked eyes, each longing to comfort the other's pain. The agonizingly short distance between them brought up terrible memories of the match when Raven handcuffed Jeff to the turnbuckle then pinned Matt down and forced him to watch as The Undertaker beat the living daylights out of a helpless Jeff.

"Let him go, he's the victim's brother," Anderson ordered, then turned on his walkie-talkie. "Jackson, we have a positive identification. It is Jeff Hardy."

The instant he was set free, Matt closed the three foot distance and wrapped his arms around his little brother. "Jeff. Jeff, you okay Bro?"

"Matt...You came..." Jeff rasped and smiled weakly. For a moment all the weight of the suffering and terror he had endured seemed to lift off his shoulders and he was at peace just leaning into his brother's embrace. And then as quickly as it had come, the moment was gone, and the weight came crashing down upon him.

"Oh God, Matt..." Jeff's voice became more broken, and the tears of pain, fear and relief all came out at once on to Matt's shoulder. "I saw things...They did things..."

"Sshh. Sshh. It's okay, it's okay." Matt soothed, trying his best to keep his voice steady. Meanwhile his own heart was still pounding from all of the varied emotions that gone through him in the last two minutes. With one arm still firmly around his little brother's shoulders, he reached up with the other hand to gently stroke Jeff's hair.

The locksmith finally freed Jeff's arms from the metal that bound them. Immediately the younger Hardy's arms wrapped around his brother's waist, and he continued to cry softly.

With his brother now secure in his arms, Matt took a moment to look around the room they were in. The officer had been right, it did look like that bathroom from the movie "SAW". It was dank and dirty and there were red stains everywhere, most notably stains formed into words on the wall above where Jeff had been sitting.

"The seventh gate of hell..." Matt read the message quietly, then turned to the officer next to them. "What does that mean?"

The officer shrugged. "You're guess is as good as ours at the moment. We're thinking it's some kind of cult."

"A cult?" Matt's eyes widen in surprise. "What would they want with Jeff?"

When the officer gave him a helpless 'I don't know shit' look, Matt turned his attentions back to Jeff. "What did they do to you Jeff?"

"It hurt...It hurt so much Matt..." Jeff said huskily between sobs.

"Hurt?" Matt stopped stroking the multi-colored braids, and held his brother at an arm's length. "You're hurt? Where does it hurt?" Matt looked down at the blood stains splattered across his brother's white tank top, making it look like some grotesque tie-dye job. "Oh my God, you're bleeding!" Matt's head snapped around to face the police officers. "Someone help him, he's bleeding!"

"The paramedics are on their way up." Anderson answered calmly.

Matt nodded, and looked back at Jeff. "It's okay man, you're gonna be okay." Matt rasped, trying keep his voice calm in an effort to keep Jeff calm, but it seemed Jeff was calmer than Matt was.

"Calm down Bro, I'm okay, I'm not bleeding." Jeff smiled again tiredly and patted his brother's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm just a little cold."

"Yeah, you feel cold." Matt rubbed Jeff's arms to create some heat, before pulling off his coat and wrapping it around Jeff's shoulders. Matt hugged his brother again while they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

000

_Poor Jeff...He's been through a lot, luckily Matt's there to comfort him and play protective big brother. _

_Though just a note there is no intended Hardycest in this story, it is meant to be innocent brotherly love. However, if you are a fan of Hardycest and want to imagine it that way, I won't stop you._

_I promise, Taker and Kane will be appearing soon in this story._


	4. The Nightmare

_**Disclaimer:** All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:** Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge..._

_**NOTE:** The description of the seventh layer of hell, is based on the ancient poem, "Dante's Inferno"._

000

Jeff finished toweling off the sweat from his hair and debated whether or not to take a shower in the locker room or wait till they got back to the hotel. The big draw back of taking the shower now in the locker room was by the time he got out most everyone would have gone home and he would be left practically alone. In the week following his abduction, he had taken great care to make sure he was never by himself, in addition to putting no trust in the security guards anymore.

"Hey, Hardy!"

Jeff groaned when he heard the unmistakable voice of his nemesis Edge, he was in no mood for the "R-rated" superstar's comments at the moment, or ever for that matter.

"Yeah?" Jeff answered, though he continued to towel off his hair as if Edge were not there.

"You had a good match tonight." Edge smiled good-naturedly.

"Yeah?" Jeff raised his head, and placed the towel over his shoulders, waiting for the inevitable crusher snide comment that was to come at his expense.

"No. I mean it the crowd was with you all the way man," Edge assured him enthusiastically.

Jeff blinked, starting to seriously wonder if Edge meant what he said or not. "Uh...Thanks, Edge, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome." The smile broadened on Edge's face. Then suddenly it morphed into a sneer. "Yeah, the crowd was especially with you when you fell on your ass trying to nail a 'Whisper in the Wind.'"

Edge guffawed at his own humor, with his Tag-Team partner Randy Orton joining the jeering laughter as he walked by, and a few chuckles echoed around the locker room.

Jeff rolled his eyes and went back to drying his hair. He knew it was coming, but still it pissed him off to be reminded of just how off his game he had been lately.

"Nothing gets by you, Edge..." Jeff grumbled. "But at least I actually stay and fight my own battles."

Jeff grinned under the towel, that quip should wipe that stupid grin of the "R-rated" superstar's face. He waited for Edge's response, but none came. Jeff pulled the towel off his head and discovered the entire locker room was empty.

"Oh shit!" Jeff did not take time to ponder how the room had emptied itself within the last five seconds, the fact remained the room was empty and he did not want to be left alone again. He hurriedly threw his stuff into his duffel bag and raced to the door. However, when he opened it, instead of seeing a hallway, he stared into a pitch black abyss.

On impulse he reached out to the blackness, but his hand flattened against an invisible wall which rippled at his touch. Suddenly the black nothingness faded into a scene, a scene of horror that made his heart jump into his throat.

Jeff stood on the bank of a large boiling river with people immersed in the hot waters; writhing and screaming. His heart went into his stomach and he felt it churn sickeningly as he realized the boiling liquid in the river was blood. He covered his mouth as his stomach threatened to rebel and automatically he took step back. As he did so, his pant leg caught on something. He looked down and saw his feet surrounded by thorny bushes. His eyes traveled up so he was looking over his shoulder, but instead of seeing the locker room he thought was behind him, there was vast forest of gnarled thorny trees, some towering as high as redwoods.

The young Hardy's jaw dropped and involuntary shudders coursed through his body as he turned fully around and gazed upon the primeval woodland. He stepped back, breaking some of the thorns off the brush that had grappled onto his pant leg. A scream that made every hair on Jeff's body stand on end, erupted from the bush, and blood flowed from the broken thorns.

Jeff backed quickly away from the bleeding bushes, only to run into something behind him. Too terrified to look around, his own blood ran cold as two pale arms with sharp black nails reached out past his shoulders, as if welcoming Jeff into an embrace. However, the arms made no move to enfold him in them.

Shaking, Jeff slowly turned around. His frightened eyes were greeted with the sight of a lithe human-like being with ghostly pale skin, red eyes, and sharp metallic like teeth. Blood colored the being's face across his eyes and forehead like a grotesque Mardi Gras mask. However, those were the only distinguishing features on the ghastly shadow of a human. The being opened his toothy mouth and spoke in a voice so deep, Jeff could feel it resonant in the very core of his body.

"Welcome to the seventh layer of hell..."

000

Jeff Hardy woke up in cold sweat, glancing frantically around at his surroundings. The river was gone, the thorny forest was gone and so was the pale being. The seventh layer of hell had turned into a hotel room. Seeing these comfortingly familiar surroundings, Jeff calmed his breathing and slowly his heart began to ease up its pounding against his ribs.

However, he was still shaken. He felt his stomach roll over as the memories of the horrible nightmare raced through his memory. The face of the pale being and his voice seemed to burn in his brain like a branding iron on flesh. Suddenly a sharp pain coursed through his stomach, causing him to fold his arms over it and bend over. He nearly jumped when a hand touched his shoulder.

"You okay, Bro?" Matt Hardy sat up.

A wave of nausea replaced the pain in Jeff's stomach; he could only manage a simple "no," before leaping out of the bed, and making for the bathroom. However, just as he got his head over the toilet, the nausea passed. At that moment, Matt poked his head in.

"Want me to come in?" Matt asked softly, knowing from personal experience that people preferred to throw up alone.

Jeff closed his eyes and waited for a moment, just in case the nausea or the pain came back. When he was sure he was not going to puke up his guts he slowly nodded, however he remained by the toilet just in case his stomach decided to rebel again.

Matt turned on the water faucet and ran a hand towel under the water. After wringing out the excess water he folded the towel and carefully placed it on the back of Jeff's neck.

"Thanks, Bro." Jeff murmured, resting his head in wearily in his hands.

"No problem man..." Matt gently squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"If everything was, you think I'd be in here like this?" Jeff groaned not looking up.

Matt sighed patiently. "That's not what I meant. Anyone can throw up from eating bad food or nerves... but you, you looked like you stared death in the face. I was just giving you an out in case you didn't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry Matt," Jeff looked up at his older brother apologetically. "My head's just been messed up lately."

"I can't blame you for that, but don't think you have to deal with on your own, okay?" Matt patted Jeff reassuringly on the back. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Jeff sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, except this one was different from the others."

"Yeah?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't about the abduction like they normally are," Jeff began. "It started out with me in the RAW locker room like any other day, Edge was being an ass as usual."

Matt laughed, but tried to contain it when his little brother gave him an incredulous look. " Sorry... but I can't see how that would be a nightmare..."

Jeff smiled lightly then frowned. "Then everybody disappeared, I ran to the door to see where they'd gone to and I ended up in this, this horrible place. There was blood everywhere," Jeff's eyes grew more and more distant. His eye brows furrowed and he looked about to cry. "A bloody river, bleeding thorn bushes and trees, and people screaming all over the place..."

Matt scooted toward Jeff and wrapped his arms around him. Jeff rested his head against his older brother's chest, taking comfort in the soft thump of Matt's heartbeat. "And then there was this guy, some sort of monster and he spoke to me. Something about being in the seventh layer of hell..."

"Really...?" Matt murmured into the top of Jeff's head.

"What's it all mean man..." Jeff whispered hoarsley. "I can't take much more of this, I need sleep..."

"I wish I knew..." Matt's frustration at his inability to help his brother was apparent in his voice. Just then a light bulb went on in his head, and he uncurled himself from around Jeff. "Hey, I bet I know who would know about this kind of stuff."

"Who?" Jeff furrowed his brow.

"The Undertaker."

"The Undertaker?" Jeff wrinkled his nose. "What makes you think he'll help us? He's been all creepy and cold and standoffish to everyone since his reincarnation in 2004."

"I know." Matt nodded wearily. "But it's worth a try right?"

Jeff nodded back. "Well if I have another dream tonight we'll go talk to him tomorrow."

"Okay. And I'm going to hold you to that." Matt grinned and patted Jeff on the shoulder.

Jeff nodded. "You should go back to sleep Matt, you got a match tomorrow."

"Don't remind me... " Matt yawned. "Aren't you coming too?"

"I'm just gonna hang out in the bathroom a couple more minutes," Jeff rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Just in case my stomach decides to act up again."

"Okay. I'll leave the light on for you," Matt got up and exited the bathroom.

After Matt left, Jeff got up and closed the door. He looked into the bathroom mirror for a moment, then pulled up his black tank top. On his abdomen was the symbol the leader of the cultists had drawn on him with blood as paint. Jeff closed his eyes and the image of the pale being flashed before him as vivid as if he were still in the dream. Only this time the white skin of the apparition was broken by black lines forming the same symbol on his abdomen, that Jeff now had on his.

Jeff opened his eyes and pulled his shirt over the symbol again. He opened the bathroom door and headed back into the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and buried his head in the pillow. However, when he shut his eyes the image of the pale being appeared again. He sat up, and bit his fist, silencing a scream of frustration. He was so tired, but now he couldn't even close his eyes. He looked over enviously at Matt, already asleep.

After some hesitation, Jeff awkwardly crawled over and curled up behind Matt, resting his head against his older brother's back. He closed his eyes again, this time there was only darkness behind his eyelids. No blood, no thorns, no monsters.

Jeff smiled and snuggled a little closer, burying his face into the space between his older brother's shoulder blades. The scene was reminiscent of younger days, during thunderstorms and fears of beasts living under the bed and in the closet, of bullies inflicting pain on the schoolyard and tears wept for their mother's passing...

000

Matt Hardy awoke to the feeling of something pressing against his back and something else encircling his waist. He looked over his shoulder and found Jeff to be the source. Matt chuckled internally at the cute sight. This hadn't happened since they were kids, when they ran to each other's beds during thunderstorms and nightmares. Matt was glad to finally see his brother sleeping peacefully and didn't want to disturb him, but he really wanted to get up and shower.

He reached up and gently scratched the top of his little brother's head, and said softly, "Jeff, wakey-wakey."

Jeff mumbled and reached up with one arm to swat away the offending hand. This was just the reaction Matt was looking for. He quickly slid out of his little brother's broken embrace and replaced the empty spot with one of his pillows. Before entering the bathroom, Matt chuckled at the sight of his little brother snuggling up to the pillow like a puppy.

After a quick shower Matt was drying his hair when there was a knock at the bathroom door. "Yeah?"

"Can I use the shower, Matt?" Jeff called from outside.

" Yeah." Matt threw a towel around his waist and opened the door. "I don't know how much warm water is left..."

Jeff stepped in as Matt stepped out to get dressed. "It's okay, cold water might wake me up a little more."

The cold water felt strangely soothing on his tired body, and it did help him to wake up a little. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, he gritted his teeth and pressed his forehead against the tiled wall until the pain passed.

He shut off the water and reached around the shower curtain for a towel. After wrapping it around his waist he stepped out of the shower. Matt was just brushing his teeth and caught Jeff's reflection in the mirror.

"Mmph, whmphs wrmg wmit enr shomach?" Matt mumbled around his toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Sorry Matt I don't speak toothbrush mumble," Jeff chuckled.

Matt finished brushing and washed out his mouth , then repeated his question in plain English. "What's wrong with your stomach?"

"Hurts a little bit." Jeff shrugged, trying to make it nonchalant.

Matt turned around to face him and get a closer look. " It looks all red. Maybe we should take you to the doctor, you could have some internal bleeding or something. "

Jeff looked down and traced the red lines, his heart beginning to race. "Oh God...It's back..."

"What's back?" Matt quirked an eyebrow and took a closer look. "What the hell is that?"

Jeff swallowed hard. "Remember when I told you that guy drew something on me. That's it. It went away for awhile but then it came back when I started having those dreams."

"That's it," Matt grabbed Jeff's arm. "We're taking a trip to see the Undertaker."

"Can I get some clothes on first man?" Jeff dug his heels into the carpet.

Matt stopped and laughed in spite of himself. "Sorry," Matt tossed Jeff his clothes. "But you know if it were going to see a diva then I'd say keep the towel."

Jeff couldn't keep from laughing along with his brother.

000

_Poor Jeff is having nightmares now. Looks like Matt needs to take Jeff to see Dr. Undertaker, hehehe!_

_The part with Jeff snuggling with Matt was fun to write, it was so cute! They were just like puppies!_

_Please review, I'm curious to know what you think._


	5. The Undertaker

_**Disclaimer:** All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:** Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, Ashley, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **The description of the seventh layer of hell, is based on the ancient poem, "Dante's Inferno"._

_**Slightly AU:** The Undertaker's bicep was not injured, and Edge didn't succeed with his "Money in the Bank" cash-in scheme (which will be explained later), so Taker is still the World Heavyweight Champion._

000

The two Hardys stood in front of the ominous hotel room door that lead into the current lair of the Brothers of Destruction; The Undertaker and his younger half-brother Kane. The phenom and his brother were standoffish to begin with, but on top of that Kane had a particular dislike for Matt after the whole Lita fiasco.

Jeff exchanged nervous glances with Matt, before speaking. "Well here we go. You want to knock or should I?"

"Hmmm...Let's flip for it." Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. "Heads you knock, tails you knock, okay?"

"Okay..." Jeff nodded, then it clicked in his head that his brother was trying to trick him. "Wait a minute... Which one are you? Head or tails?"

"You're smarter than you look, Lil Bro." Matt laughed. "I'll take tails."

Matt tossed the coin into the air and caught it. "It's tails."

Jeff grinned then playfully punched his brother's arm. "Serves you right for trying to trick me."

"Oh hell..." Matt groaned as he knocked on the door.

Both brothers made a simultaneous gulp as they heard the rumbling of heavy footsteps that indicated the presence of Kane. Sure enough, the door opened, revealing The Big Red Machine, looking none too happy.

"What do want?" Kane grumbled, fixating a glare on Matt Hardy.

"Ummm..." Matt quickly wilted under Kane's fiery gaze.

At the continued silence and nervous foot shuffling and thumb twiddling by the Hardys, Kane rolled his eyes and began to close the door.

"Wait!" Jeff found his voice and put a hand on the door to stop it from closing. "Is The Undertaker there, we need to talk to him about something."

"What about?" Kane was clearly growing more annoyed by the minute, though it was being matched by Jeff's growing frustration.

"Look, we'd rather not say it in front of you. We want to talk to Undertaker," Jeff snapped back.

"Is that so?" Kane spat. "Well I'd rather not wake up my brother and get him all pissed off for the day."

Kane began to close the door again, but a determined Jeff made a dive into the room, sprightly slipping under Kane's legs. Once inside the room he spotted The Undertaker lying on one of the beds in front of him. The phenom had his arms crossed over his chest and his hat pulled over his eyes, clearly asleep. Meanwhile, Kane was battling Matt Hardy to keep him out of the room

"Hey, Deadman!" Jeff shouted and stood up, however, the Undertaker made no indication that the words had been heard.

Frustrated, Jeff pulled off the Undertaker's hat and shouted again. "Yo! Taker! I'm talkin' to ya!

That did it; the Undertaker's eyes snapped open, fixing on Jeff with a cold stare. If Kane's fiery gaze burned holes into people, the Undertaker's icy glare made their blood run cold. Jeff swallowed hard, clearly scared, but stood his ground.

Matt finally pushed his way into the room and ran to his brother. "Jeff! What the hell are you doing?" Matt began pulling Jeff away. With all the trouble that was already going on, the last thing the Hardys wanted to do was piss off the brothers of destruction.

Suddenly Kane came up behind them and grabbed them both by the hair. "Get out!"

"No! No!" Jeff fought against Kane's titanium grip, still holding on to the Undertaker's hat in one hand, and clawing at Kane's arm with the other. "I need to talk to him."

"Seriously, guys, we really do need to talk to you," Matt pleaded, while trying to pry Kane's fingers from his hair. "I'm sorry, my brother hasn't gotten any sleep in the past two weeks, he's irrational, and he's freaked out. That's why we're here!"

"If you guys throw me out I'm taking the hat with me!" Jeff snapped; still struggling in Kane's grip.

Whether it was Matt's desperate plea or Jeff's threatening of running off with the signature hat, the Undertaker slowly sat up, and spoke. "You have five minutes to explain yourself and then you're out..." he said in a voice that would send shivers down an icicle's spine, and added, "...minus the hat."

"I'm having really, really bad nightmares!" Jeff blurted out.

The Undertaker blinked, expecting more, and when there wasn't an immediate continuation, he glared at the Hardys again. "There'd better be more..."

"There is," Matt spoke up. "Show him that thing on your stomach, Jeff."

Taker nodded at Kane to let go of Jeff's hair. Once free, Jeff took a few determined steps toward the phenom and held out his hat. Taker roughly took it back placed it on his head, carefully adjusting the edges that had been bent in the struggle.

Jeff took a deep breath and lifted his shirt to show the symbol. The Undertaker studied Jeff's abdomen, but saw nothing. He looked back up at Jeff's face, clearly annoyed. "Is this some sort of stupid sex joke...?"

"What?!" Jeff furrowed his brow and looked down. The symbol was gone. "Shit!"

"Get out," Taker snapped coldly.

Jeff just stood there in disbelief until Kane grabbed his arm, then it turned to panic. "Listen, damn it! I swear to God, you guys! This is not joke. I had this dream, I was in the seventh layer of hell or something, and there was this river of boiling blood, and there was this guy with metal teeth, and people screaming and dying!"

The Undertaker narrowed his eyes and stood up, towering over the agitated Hardy. "Have you ever read Dante's Inferno, Jeff Hardy?"

Jeff blinked in confusion. "No. What's that got to do with anything?"

The Undertaker's expression remained stony and unreadable. "When does the supposed symbol appear?"

"Whenever I have the dreams, though seems it also comes when I take a shower," Jeff answered nervously.

Taker studied him for a moment, then without a word headed toward the door to his bedroom, leaving the very confused Hardy Boyz with Kane. There was the sound of a sink running for a moment, and soon afterwards, the Undertaker reappeared in the living room, now holding a glass full of water.

"Show me where the symbol is supposed to be," he said, though there was less iciness in his voice.

When Kane let go of his arm Jeff pulled up his shirt once again. This time Taker splashed the water from the glass across Jeff's abdomen, causing the young Hardy to first yelp in surprise then, groan and buckle over in pain. Taker moved closer, allowing Jeff to lean on him, and not keel over. He then held Jeff straight up by the shoulders, and looked down at the symbol; now clear as day across Jeff's stomach.

Kane finally let go of Matt and came around to stand next to Taker. "So the little weirdo wasn't lying after all."

"It appears not. This mark is water reactant and deep red. Made from blood, I'd bet," Taker murmured, noticing a look of distinct terror come over Jeff's face. No doubt the memories of what had happened to him were re-entering his mind.

Kane sighed as if this were an everyday occurrence and headed toward his bedroom. "I'll get the mat and the chalk."

Taker nodded at Kane, looking back at the younger Hardy, who was slowly pulling his shirt back over the symbol. A look of utter exhaustion replacedthe fear on Jeff's face. Taker guided Jeff over to one of the arm chairs in the room and sat him down, before going over to where a bottle of "Jack Daniel's" was sitting on a table. He poured a glass and walked back over to Jeff. By this time Matt had come over to sit down next to Jeff and was gently rubbing his back.

"Here." Taker held out the glass to Jeff.

Jeff looked at the glass then at The Undertaker, who nodded. Taking the glass, Jeff downed its contents in one gulp. "Thanks."

Meanwhile Kane pulled out a black mat from under his bed and a small box full of chalk. He unfolded the mat on the floor and proceeded to draw on it. Taker unzipped a side compartment on his suitcase and pulled out a laptop of all things, before sitting down next to Kane. After setting the laptop up the way he wanted, he stood up and helped Kane finish the drawing.

"Come." Taker motioned to Jeff. "In order to determine the 'who' and 'why' of this ordeal, we're going to need to interrogate you about the ritual that was done."

Slowly and a little shakily Jeff nodded and went over to where The Undertaker and Kane were sitting by the mat. The drawing on it looked like a circle with little symbols surrounding it.

"Lie down." Taker pointed to the middle of the circle.

"Why...?" Jeff said, suddenly fearful as memories resurfaced of him lying helpless on the ground, while symbols were being drawn on his stomach and used to torture him.

"It's only a truth circle," Taker explained, seeing the apprehension in Jeff's form. "We need to know the aspects of the ritual done on you in order to figure out what's going on."

Slowly Jeff nodded his head and lay down in the middle of the circle, though his body remained as tense as a rope pulled taught.

"Now tell me about this dream," Taker began, while Kane made ready to type notes into the laptop. "You say there was 'a guy' there, some sort of being?"

Jeff nodded.

"Did he touch you at all in the dream?" Taker asked.

"No, he just sort of held his arms out over my shoulders, like this." Jeff held his arms straight out. "But he didn't touch me."

The Undertaker nodded and looked over at Kane who was typing. "Did anything else happen?"

"Yeah..." Jeff closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "He said 'Welcome to the seventh layer of hell' and then I woke up."

"Alright." Undertaker looked back down at Jeff. "Now, when you were in the possession of your captors, how many were there? And what were they dressed in?"

"I don't know...I think there was about twenty of them," Jeff snorted. "They looked like something out of a bad B-movie."

"Where do you think the B-Movie people got it from?" Taker grumbled. "Real cults."

"Oh...yeah...I guess you're right." Jeff murmured.

Taker nodded. "Judging by the symbol, blood was used to paint it, is that correct?"

Jeff swallowed hard. "Yeah." He looked over at Matt then quickly added. "Not mine though..."

"Was it human or animal blood?" Taker pressed further.

"Human..." Jeff answered softly.

"Was the victim willing?"

Jeff shrugged, his eyes looking distant and tired. "I don't know... I mean he seemed like it. He let the leader kill him and no one did anything to stop it."

"Okay..." Taker nodded. "Now after they painted the symbol, did they do anything else to you?"

Jeff tensed and remained silent.

"Jeff," Taker prodded. "What happened to you?"

"I don't remember," Jeff answered quickly. Suddenly the circle glowed under him, responding to his lie.

"Jeff, what did they do?" Taker asked again, his voice becoming crisp.

"I said I don't remember!" Jeff shouted, sitting up. The circle only glowed brighter.

"Yes, you do!" The Undertaker frowned and grabbed Jeff by his shoulders, causing the younger Hardy to wince in the phenom's bruising grip.

"Don't lie to us," Kane growled. "Now what happened?"

"I can't!" Jeff cried, looking away from both Taker and Kane.

Taker grabbed Jeff's chin and forced the young Hardy to look at him. "Deal with it! What happened?!"

"Stop it!" Matt jumped up from his seated position on the couch. "You're hurting him!"

The Undertaker turned his head to glare at Matt, while still holding on to Jeff. "Sit down."

"No!" Matt stood firm. "I'm not going to let you hurt my brother like this!"

"It's for his own good!" Kane snapped. "We need to know this information to determine just how much danger he is in!"

Matt shut his mouth as the truth in Kane's words hit him. He took a deep breath and sat down next to Taker and looked into Jeff's eyes. "Come on, Jeff," Matt whispered, while Taker loosened his hold on the younger Hardy. "Just say it and it will be over with okay?"

Jeff looked at Matt sadly for a moment, then closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't..."

Taker looked at Jeff, then at Matt, then back at Jeff. "Do you want your brother to leave?"

Jeff opened his eyes, but lowered his head. Taker took it as a "yes" and turned to Matt. "Matt, get out."

"What?!" Matt looked at all of them in shock.

"Are you deaf?" Kane growled. "He said, 'get out.'"

"No way!" Matt pounded his fist on the ground. "I'm not leaving Jeff like this!"

"Go Matt..." Jeff spoke up softly. "It'll be okay..."

Matt looked completely taken aback that his little brother did not want him close by in his moment of distress. "You...want me to leave?"

Jeff raised his head to look at his brother apologetically. "No, I don't... but I think I need to do this on my own. It's too hard with you here, Matt..." Jeff's eyes grew wet with tears. "It's better if you don't know..."

Taker and Kane got up and grabbed Matt's arms, hauling him to his feet, much to the ire of the elder Hardy. "Take your fucking hands off me!" Matt attempted to get free of their grip, but with little success. "Damn it, Jeff! What is it that you can tell them that you can't tell me?!" Matt stared at his brother more hurt than angry.

Jeff looked at them shaking, his face had the look of a dam about to break, and it did. "They tortured me okay!! It HURT!!" Jeff screamed at them at the top of his lungs; all of the pent up frustration and fear and anger finally coming out. "It felt like I was on fire and my bones were broken! It hurt so much, I just wanted to curl up and die! And they did over and over and over again!! Ten fucking times!"

Jeff wrapped his arms around himself and buckled over so his forehead touched the ground. "I remember...I still remember how it felt..." Jeff gasped between pants.

The Undertaker let go of Matt and knelt down next to Jeff. He placed both hands on the back of Jeff's head, and said sternly, "I know they've tried to break you with that, but you must remain strong, the weaker you get, the more they hurt you. It's all in your head now."

"The best way to get one pain out of your head is to replace it with another pain you know how to deal with," Kane said matter-of-factly. "Like remember the pain you felt after you jumped off that ladder at Wrestlemania 23?"

After a few moments Jeff stopped shaking, and slowly raised himself up to sit back on his heels. "It worked." He looked at the Undertaker and Kane gratefully. "I gotta remember that."

Taker stood up and went over to the laptop. "It'll only work for this particular psychosomatic pain."

"Thank you," Jeff said quietly, still a little shaken from what he had relived in the last few minutes. He shook his head and swallowed, then managed to say shakily. "I won't let it happen again. I won't let this control me," he said firmly.

"Good." Taker nodded, and clicked the key pad a few times. "But you may not have a choice."

"What?" Jeff's eyes widened.

"They already have control of you, through that symbol." Taker pointed to Jeff's stomach. "They're channeling everything to you through that symbol, everything from the nightmares to the pain."

"So I can't stop it..."

Taker closed his eyes and sighed, some unwanted weariness creeping into his voice. "Protection insignias are not my area, plus I don't know if there is anything strong enough for this."

"Then what can we do to help my brother?" Matt asked helplessly.

"Figure out when they're going to come back for him," The Undertaker stated simply.

"Come back for me?" Jeff Hardy's eyes widened and then narrowed in anger and frustration. "What do they want with me? Are they getting some sick pleasure out of torturing me? Is that what this all about? What the fuck is going on here?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Taker accessed a site called "Dante's Database" and entered his user name and password. "We have our suspicions. Based on the symbol and the things in the dream you had, and the fact that it is the year 2007, we have reason to believe that they want to use you as a host body for Chiron, the gate keeper of the seventh layer of hell."

The Hardys stood, staring at The Undertaker as if he had just grown two heads. Their minds were slowly wrapping around the meaning of what Taker just said, but seemed unable to grasp it, or were afraid to.

"What...What do you mean, host?" Jeff asked slowly.

Undertaker took a deep breath, looking like he really did not want to get into such information, but cleared his throat and continued with it anyway. "There are many earthly gates that lead to one of the nine layers of hell. At a certain time in a certain year, the dimensional fabric between earth and hell will weaken at one of those gates, to the point where a mere drop of blood from mere mortal men can open it. This year is the seventh year of the new millennium, and it seems the dimensional fabric around seventh gate in North America is weakening."

"What happens if it opens?" Matt asked warily, his eyes wide in both fear and fascination.

"Chiron, the keeper of the seventh layer of hell, could enter this world, and collect the souls of those he views are violent, and take them straight to hell without judgment," Taker explained solemnly, though he almost smirked at the petrified faces of the Hardy boys, but frowned when he saw that they also started to look sick.

"However," Taker said quickly before one of the Hardys vomited all over his alchemy mat. "Though a gate is open, the layer keeper cannot pass through the gate in his current form. He needs a mortal host."

On the word "host" The Undertaker's eyes flitted directly to Jeff, who gulped a little in response. "Why me?"

"They probably saw you performing your highflying stunts on TV, and you have a very similar body shape to Chiron," Taker explained. "Contrary to popular belief made by "Dante's Inferno," Chiron the keeper of the seventh layer of hell is not a centaur. The layer keeper is strong and very powerful, but also lithe and agile. He has to be in order to keep track of his charges, the souls being punished in the seventh layer who are constantly trying to escape."

"Okay, okay...Wait a minute." Matt shook his head looking completely bewildered. "How do you guys know all this? I mean you're talking about hell and the afterlife as if you'd been there."

The Undertaker and Kane exchanged apprehensive glances.

"Think we should tell them?" Kane looked from Taker back to the Hardys.

Taker pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair, seeming to mull over the decision, before putting his hat back on, and speaking again. "Boys. The information we are about to impart to you must never be spoken of to another living being. Otherwise, we will have to kill you ourselves. "

Both Hardys gulped but nodded in agreement all the same.

"Kane and I are what are called Reapers. Reapers maintain the balance between heaven and hell," The Undertaker said with the utmost seriousness.

The Hardys stared at the brothers of destruction for a long moment before Matt burst out laughing, startling everyone in the room.

"Yeah right!" Matt continued laughing.

"It's not funny!" Kane snapped.

"I think they mean it, man..." Jeff said quietly.

Matt felt his cheeks go pink with embarrassment. "Sorry, while you do look the part, it just sounded too stupid to be real."

"Stupid?" Kane snarled; standing up, his expression going from one of surprise to one of rage.

Matt stopped laughing.

"I'll tell you what's stupid! Your little punk as team extreme thing and---"

"Kane, drop it!" Taker stood up as well and put a hand in front of him to stop any possible advances on the Hardys.

"Why should I?" Kane growled through clenched teeth.

"Because if this cult is real, if it really is Chiron involved, this will be bigger than all of us," Taker said calmly, but firmly. "You know that."

There was a low rumble of affirmation deep in Kane's throat, before he slowly nodded his head and sat down. However, the anger on his face did not lessen.

Taker grumbled and looked up at the ceiling, as if to say, "Grim, give me patience," before turning to face the Hardys, and fixing them with a warning glare. "And as for you, show some respect for those who are trying to help you."

"We're sorry, man," Jeff spoke quietly and humbly. "We've both been in strung out shape since the kidnapping. It's the fatigue talkin'."

The Undertaker nodded and sat back down on the couch next to Kane. "All right, now as I was saying before, Reapers maintain the balance of heaven and hell by maintaining the equality and impartiality of death."

The Hardys nodded, listening intently, while Taker continued, "We make sure that the agents of hell and the agents of heaven, also known as demons and angels, do not cross into the mortal realm and interfere with the lives and spirits of the mortals here."

"So..." Matt began slowly, his voice cracking in the utter astonishment at all the revelations that his ears had taken in. "It's all true, there really is a heaven and a hell."

"Yes there is, but it's not like what the Evangelist preachers say on TV, you're not going to burn in hell for all eternity, just because you don't find the 'light of God,'" Taker said slightly imitating exuberant the pastors seen on TV. "In fact, no one goes to hell for all eternity, no matter what they've done. They may go for a very, very long time and get punished horribly depending on what they've done."

"So it really doesn't matter what religion you're in?" Jeff asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The Undertaker shook his head. "No, religious beliefs will only come into play during Judgment when they look at how you used those beliefs. Did you use your beliefs for the betterment of others as well as yourself? Did you use your religion to justify cruelty or kindness? That sort of thing. Point being, there is no right or wrong religion whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Wiccan, Atheist, it doesn't matter."

"So you're saying religion and spirituality is just some sort of arbitrary thing?" Matt asked looking very distressed, as he'd always thought himself to be very spiritual.

"He didn't say that," Kane snapped sternly. "He said when it comes time for your soul to be judged, what religion you are a part of doesn't matter as much as everybody thinks it does."

"Essentially the purpose of religion is for people to have guidelines for their lives, and a method by which they can have some sort of contact with the other side," Taker explained. "They all simply have different ways of doing it. They all have their different methods of communing with God, or Allah or Yahweh; He responds to all names that refer to "The Creator" or "The Great Father". He's very forgiving. Forgiving to a fault, like any devoted parent who would forgive their children anything."

Matt, feeling a little awestruck, murmured, "There really is a God..."

"Yes, and a Master of Hell too," Taker said. "Those two are so extreme; they could never keep a balanced world. God would forgive everyone and Satan would punish everyone for the slightest transgression. So they created The Grim, to maintain the balance and preside over the judging of souls, and to direct the reapers on their various missions."

"So the Grim has the power to send people to heaven or hell?" Jeff's eyes widened and he and Matt exchanged equally shocked glances.

"Sort of," Taker said slowly, trying to think of how best to explain. "There is a panel of judges made up of angels and demons, and the Grim acts as mediator if there is a real dispute."

The Hardys nodded, staring at Taker with wide eyes, hanging on his every word.

"He also makes sure that demons don't enter heaven, and angels don't enter hell." Taker said nonchalantly.

"You know, there's something I've always wondered..." Matt said quietly. "What about near death experiences? Is there really a white light?"

This time Kane spoke. " Yeah, it's the entrance to limbo. Souls stay there for awhile, just in case their body is revived and then they are sent back, but if they are truly dead, a reaper comes to take them to purgatory."

"Okay, okay this all very interesting..." Jeff said. "But it still doesn't explain the dreams I'm having."

"Those aren't dreams." Taker stated. "They're messages."

"Messages?" Jeff whispered quietly.

"See one's conscious mind shields you from communication from spirits, demons, angels, etc. However when you sleep, your conscious mind is not fully aware and those shields go down, leaving you open for spiritual communication if someone from beyond the grave, or a demon or angel wants to send messages to you," Taker explained calmly.

"So our dreams are messages from the other side?" Matt asked wide-eyed.

"No. Ninety-five percent of the time, your dreams are your brain reorganizing itself and making sense of all of your memories, the biological way."

Jeff furrowed his brow. "So how can you tell if your dream is just a dream, or if it's really a message from beyond?"

"Well you know how when you wake up from a dream; it's hard to remember the details of it, even if it was very vivid. That is not so with messages from the other side. It would be no good to send a message then have the person wake-up and not remember," Taker continued to explain, though he was starting to show some annoyance with all the Hardys' questions. "In a message you remember just about every detail, as if you had actually lived through it for real. And sometimes your body will react to being touched, even if you weren't actually being touched."

Taker pinched the bridge of his nose when he saw Matt Hardy open his mouth to ask another question, and quickly interrupted. "Jeff, you say Chiron didn't touch you in the dream?'

Jeff shook his head. "No, he didn't."

"Then I have some good news for you. For the moment you're safe." Taker turned away and walked over to his bookshelf and pulled out a thick, rather old tattered book, and began flipping through it.

"I am?" Jeff's eyes widened, though he did not dare to hope that things might be okay.

Kane answered, "Since Chiron did not make physical contact with you in the dream, it means he hasn't officially chosen you yet." At Jeff Hardy's look of puzzlement, Kane let out an annoyed sigh and continued, "Chiron's followers thought you might be a proper host, but Chiron has to make the final decision. If he doesn't choose you, you won't have anything to worry about."

"The next message he sends you should tell the tale either way." Taker scrolled down the computer screen that appeared to have access to various files on it. He found the file he wanted and began downloading it, before looking up at Jeff and Matt again. "Now listen carefully, if Chiron makes contact in the dream, when you wake up if the symbol remains as it is or disappears completely, it means he hasn't chosen you and you're in the clear. However, if the symbol turns black, you call me immediately, and don't go anywhere by yourself. Understand?"

Jeff gulped and nodded solemnly.

"Good, now get out..." Taker waved them away as he turned back to the laptop.

Kane ushered the Hardy Boyz out the door, shutting it.

Jeff and Matt hung back motionless in the hallway for a moment, a little in shock at all that had been revealed to them in the last hour.

"Well..." Jeff began a little breathless. "Here's hoping I get rejected..."

000

_I think this has been one of my favorite chapters! The Undertaker and Kane are so fun to write!_

_As to all of the religious/afterlife/heaven and hell stuff, it is not meant to insult of infringe on anyone else's beliefs, it is just for the sake of the story. A lot of the structure of hell was based on Dante's inferno._

_No, Taker and Kane are not dead people. They are alive, but as reapers they have special powers endowed to them from the Grim. More on how they became reapers will be revealed._

_Please, Please review this chapter I really want to know if I portrayed Taker and Kane right, and if you guys are still interested in the story! It will make me most happy! _


	6. The Examination

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__I wanted to give a different portrayal of Umaga in my story. In most fanfics he's portrayed as the villain, but I see him being like Batista, the savage beast inside the ring, but actually a gentle, strong soul outside. _

_Also, the description of the seventh layer of hell, is based on the ancient poem, "Dante's Inferno'. _

_**Slightly AU:**__ The Undertaker's bicep was not injured, and Edge didn't succeed with his "Money in the Bank" cash-in scheme (which will be explained later), so Taker is still the World Heavyweight Champion._

000

There was a great buzz of excitement around the three brands of the WWE what with Kristal getting pregnant by Teddy Long, the abduction and return of Jeff Hardy, and the upcoming Great American Bash.

Jeff Hardy seemed oblivious to all of the gossip, he had bigger things on his mind. He felt a lot better after talking to the Undertaker and finding out what was going on. He was still frightened of the prospect of a demon from hell coming after him, but it was much better than being completely in the dark. He had been able to concentrate on his matches more since then in fact the ring was the best release from all of his troubles. In the ring he could take out all of his anger and frustration, and forget the horror of the dreams.

While Chiron himself had not appeared in the dreams since the first one, the memories of being tortured by his followers still remained as vivid as real life. In addition to reliving those horrible things, he was losing sleep from waking up every night, which left him constantly tired and taking catnaps whenever he could to keep his performance up.

Jeff Hardy yawned and looked down at his watch. He had an hour before his match and the caffeine from the Red Bull he drank earlier in the day was beginning to wear-off. Suddenly, the corner where his locker met up with John Cena's, looked like a cozy nook to curl up in and his duffel bag looked like a comfortable down pillow.

Jeff sighed and pulled out his cell phone. He set the alarm on it to go off twenty minutes before his match began, which would give him about forty minutes to rest his eyes before going into the match. He settled down in the corner and using his duffel bag as a pillow settled down and he almost immediately fell asleep...

000

Jeff stood on the bank of a large boiling river of blood with people immersed in the hot waters; writhing and screaming. Thorny bushes and trees covered the banks of the river and the landscape all around.

He was back, back in the seventh layer of hell.

Jeff took a deep breath and told himself to calm down. He was not going to freak out like he did the last time. He turned around and looked at the thorny landscape before him. He steeled himself and took a step into the ghastly field, his foot crushing the bushes below. Screams and blood erupted from the broken limbs.

Ignoring the screams, Jeff took another step and almost fell over as thorns and branches grappled on to his legs and tried to pull him down. He managed to keep his balance, but realized trying to walk through the bushes was out of the question. He jerked one of his legs out of the hold of the bushes causing him to fall backward, fortunately on to the sandy riverbank.

He looked down the bank and saw a large rock formation that overlooked the river. He thought it would be a good vantage point to look and see if there was a path out of hell. He got up and sprinted toward the rocks at full speed. When he got there he was surprised to find a stairway already carved into the rock. He quickly made his way up and stood on the edge overhanging the river.

In the distance he saw what looked like the outline of a black gate and a clear path through the bushes leading right to it, briefly he wondered if it was a way out of hell or the gateway to another layer. They only way to find out was to go there, The only problem was, it lay across the river from where he was. He gauged the distance, he could easily jump from the cliff to the other side of the river, but he had to measure it carefully. Too far and he would end up in the bushes, too short and he would end up in the river it had to be just right to land on the sandy bank. In the back of his mind he worried if the height was so great that he would break his ankle or leg on the landing.

He was about to jump when a cold hand touched his shoulder and instantly made every hair on his body stand on end, in fact had the hair on his head not been in heavy braids, it might have been standing on end too.

Jeff swallowed hard and slowly turned around to see who the hand belonged to, though he had a pretty good guess. Sure enough there stood Chiron, with his ghostly pale skin, red eyes, and sharp metallic like teeth. This time he also held a staff with large, round, serrated blades on each end, and wore a metal glove on his right hand that had long claws jutting out from it.

"So you are the one my followers chose for me." He said in a cold, deep monotone voice that reminded Jeff greatly of James Earl Jones and Pinhead from "Hellraiser".

Jeff stood wide-eyed and frozen to the spot where he stood, as his mind rushed at a million miles per hour, trying to figure out what to do.

Chiron's hand traveled up from Jeff's shoulder, along his throat, and came to rest on the young Hardy's cheek. However, Chiron's face remained cold and emotionless. "I shall need to make a closer examination for myself."

"Examination?" Jeff blinked as he finally woke up out of his shocked stupor and pulled away from Chiron. "No fucking way!"

Jeff turned and ran toward the edge of the cliff he meant to jump from before. He jumped. He landed perfectly on the other side of the river from the cliff and took off running toward the path he had seen before.

Suddenly, a vine from one of the thorny bushes shot out of the ground and wrapped around Jeff's right leg. He fell but managed to catch himself with his hands so he wouldn't fall on his face. Several more vines broke out of the sand and wrapped around Jeff's body. Jeff desperately struggled to get free clawing at the ground, but the sandy bank gave him no grip or leverage.

Chiron leaped with ease from the cliff to where the thorny vines had the young Hardy ensnared. He casually walked up to the struggling Jeff, quietly watching the wrestler's attempts to get free.

"Careful, struggle too much and the thorns will cut you, even though I told them not to." Chiron stated coldly.

Jeff paid no heed to the demon and redoubled his efforts to get free. Chiron let out a low quiet growl which was his equivalent to an exasperated sigh, then proceeded to grab Jeff's arms and pin them behind the young Hardy's back. He gave a silent command to the vines and they quickly wrapped around Jeff's arms, binding them together.

"Let me go you son of a bitch!" Jeff snarled still straining against the branches that had him completely immobilized. He winced as the thorns began to dig into his flesh when he tensed his muscles. He let his body go lax for a moment, as he tried to think of a way to get out of this mess.

Suddenly, he heard the creaking of the vines as they moved and felt them slowly pulling his legs apart. Rush of fear ran through Jeff's body, quickening his already pounding heart, and making his mind race with all sorts of conclusions. One conclusion in particular stuck in his mind, and it reminded him of the famous yet disturbing scene in the movie "Deliverance". This made him only redouble his efforts to move. At least there was still the fabric of his clothes between himself and the demon.

Jeff let out a small gasp and froze, when the cold hand like a block of ice slipped under his pant leg and ran the length of his leg from his Achilles tendon to his upper hamstring. Sweat broke out on Jeff's brow while terror pumped through his veins as his worst fears seemed to be confirmed when he felt the hand move farther up to the right cheek of his bottom. Then suddenly the hand moved back down to the back of his knee, and moved around to cup the patella.

Jeff furrowed his brow; this was a move he had not expected, why was Chiron molesting his kneecap?

Somehow Jeff gathered enough courage to lift his head to try and look at his aggressor. "What are you doing...?"

Chiron did not answer; instead he did the same examination to Jeff's other leg. When he had finished Chiron finally answered, like a computer listing off data. "Good muscle tone in the hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteu**s** maximus and calves. Achilles tendons intact and some wear and weakening of the left ACL, but still intact..."

Utter confusion began to overtake the fear in Jeff's mind. Chiron was speaking as if he were Dr. Andrews talking about the latest damage after Wrestlemania.

Without another word Chiron stood up and walked over to kneel down next to Jeff's right shoulder. Jeff felt an involuntary shudder when the cold hands touched his lower back just bellow where his arms were bound.

"Hmmm..." A low rumble came from Chiron's throat.

"What?" Jeff asked warily.

Chiron did not answer. Instead he dug his knuckle into the curve of Jeff's lower back, causing the young Hardy to hiss in pain then whimper. It was the spot in his back that he had injured from Wrestlemania 23, when he did his big leg-drop off a ladder onto Edge who was lying on another ladder below. The impact had broken the ladder and gave him a focal herniated disc in his spine.

"Injury." Chiron stated.

"I know man!" Jeff snapped, grimacing at Chiron's continued aggravation of his back injury. Thankfully the demon stopped soon after and stood up.

"Nonetheless, you'll do," Chiron, stated firmly.

"Do what?" Jeff asked through clenched teeth, still absorbing the pain in his back. "Are you going to let me go now?"

"Not just yet..." Chiron answered picking up his staff and sliding his hand and wrist across the blade, cutting open the white flesh.

It took a moment for Jeff to comprehend that the black substance oozing from Chiron's wounds, was Chiron's blood. Jeff felt his stomach turn over when Chiron lifted his wrist up and let the black blood stream into his mouth.

"You have some serious issues man..." Jeff **s**hook his head in disgust at the sight.

Chiron shut his mouth and came over to kneel down next to Jeff. He grabbed a hand full of Jeff's hair near the scalp and tilted Jeff's head back a little.

"Agh. Stop. What are you---"Jeff didn't finish his sentence as Chiron pulled him into a grotesque kiss. It was then Jeff realized that Chiron had not swallowed the black blood. The young Hardy could feel the sickening substance wash over his tongue.

Chiron broke the kiss and clapped his other hand over Jeff's mouth, so there was only one route for the black blood to go. Tears prickled at the corners of Jeff's eyes as he forced himself to swallow the substance in order to prevent it from going down the wrong tube and into his lungs.

Finally Chiron removed his hand and Jeff began coughing and sputtering to spit out the blood still left in his mouth. However, he knew he had swallowed the majority of it as he could feel the coldness of the black blood pooling in the pit of his stomach. For the first time in his life he actually wanted to throw up, just to get the foreign blood out of his body, but his stomach seemed to freeze up and would not rebel.

Suddenly, Jeff became aware of someone calling his voice, someone who was not Chiron. And then there came the sound of beeping...

Like a cell phone...

000

"Jeff, Jeff. Wake up you're on in five minutes!"

Jeff opened his eyes as Carlito shook him awake and his cell phone alarm went off. "What...?"

"Come on!" Carlito hauled Jeff to his feet. "Coachman is starting **to **freak out, you don't want to get on his bad side."

"No I don't," Jeff murmured exiting the locker room, then running down the hallway toward **t**he entrance tunnel.

"Where the hell have you been?" Coachman stormed up to Jeff when he finally arrived at the entrance tunnel.

"I was just---" Jeff started, but was cut off by Coachman.

"You'd better not be up to your old habits Jeff Hardy." Coachman snapped. "Cause if I find you've become a drugged up, no-show again you'll be out on your ass so fast you won't even know what hit you! Do you hear me?"

Jeff swallowed hard and nodded. Coachman opened his mouth, about to continue his tirade, but Umaga's manager Amelio Estrada came over to talk to Coachman. Jeff took the opportunity to slip away and enter the tunnel.

The other competitors in the match were already there. It was a reversal tag-team match. The WWE champion and former WWE champion vs. the Intercontinental Champion and the former Intercontinental Champion. In other words it was John Cena and Edge vs. Umaga and Jeff Hardy. In all honesty Jeff was not looking forward to teaming up with the Samoan bulldozer he had lost the championship too after being completely flattened and then finished off with a Samoan spike.

Umaga later lost the intercontinental Championship to Santino Marella with some help from Bobby Lashley, during the European tour. However, three weeks ago poor Marella had snapped his achilles tendon during a match, forcing him to relinquish the title. Coachman, the general manager decreed that a battle royal would be held to decide the new champion. Jeff himself participated, but already possessing the tag-team title put a big target on him as a threat. Sure enough Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton and Shelton Benjamin teamed up to throw Jeff over the top rope and out of the competition. For the last minute and a half of the battle, there were bodies flying everywhere, and Umaga emerged the victor.

Jeff sighed wearily as he entered the tunnel and the first person he made eye contact with was Edge.

"So what are you shooting up this time Hardy?" Edge**'s** trademark R-Rated grin spread across his face. Apparently, Coach's tirade echoed into the tunnel.

Jeff stopped and glared at Edge. They way he was feeling right then, he was ready **to **break Edge's face. Suddenly, he felt his stomach turn cold, like it had in the dream after he swallowed Chiron's blood.

"That's not cool man, you shouldn't joke about that." John Cena was standing just behind Jeff.

"Oh look, Mr. Chivalry rears his head." Edge sneered. "You guys gonna make-out now?"

Cena rolled his eyes, however Jeff shrugged non-chalantly. "Yeah we know you'd like that Edge, you're probably getting a stiffy right now just thinking about it."

Cena burst out laughing, while Edge's face took on the color of a beetroot. Jeff smiled smugly as he walked off toward the end of the tunnel that leads into the stadium. However, his good feeling of victory was short lived as he felt the coldness in his stomach, and images of the dream ran through his head. He would call the Undertaker as soon as the match was over.

Umaga stood at the stadium entrance while the WWE techs ran around trying to coordinate everything. Jeff took a deep breath trying to clear his mind and mentally prep himself for that match ahead.

"Are you sick?"

Jeff nearly jumped when Umaga spoke. He didn't know the Samoan knew English or even spoke civilly to anyone at all. "Huh? What?"

"You were almost late. Are you sick?"

"Oh... I'm just a little tired that's all." Jeff shook his head.

Umaga narrowed his eyes and studied Jeff intently for a moment. His eyes widen a little in surprise, then some concern appeared there as well."No. You are sick. It looks like a bad spirit made you sick." Umaga put a hand on Jeff's abdomen, where just under Jeff's shirt the demon's symbol lay. "Here."

Jeff stared at Umaga in shock.

"Mr. Hardy, you're on!" One of the techs called to him as his theme music began to play.

"We talk after the fight." Umaga put a hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff nodded, before jogging out of the tunnel and into the stadium of cheering fans.

000

Jeff Shook his head trying to get his mind back on the fight. His body still hurt from being rammed into a turnbuckle by a nasty spear from Edge and he almost got pinned. Fortunately he was able to scramble out of the pin. He then hit Edge with a donkey kick, followed by a clothesline and get back to his corner to tag Umaga in. The crowd had gone crazy when Edge had gotten back into his corner and tagged Cena in.

Now that Cena had Umaga in the STFU, the match would be over soon, if Jeff didn't do something to help his partner. The ref was distracted, by telling Umaga to go ahead and give in. Jeff was about to step out into the ring to help Umaga, when he heard the calls of the crowd.

Upon seeing him move to enter the ring, the crowd started chanting "Hardy! Hardy!". Jeff lived off the crowd's energy, now more than ever with all the terrifying things going on. He wanted to reward his fans for their devotion, even if his back would hurt like hell afterwards.

Jeff began to climb the turnbuckle, as he did, the cheers from the crowd grew louder into an earth shattering roar, as they knew what was coming; The Swanton bomb.

"What does Jeff Hardy think he's doing?" RAW commentator JR looked on at what the younger Hardy was about to do.

"He's lost his mind!" Jerry "The King" Lawler yelled, as he watched Jeff Hardy do a swanton bomb off the top turnbuckle and land a direct hit on John Cena's back, forcing the WWE champion to break the STFU.

Jeff slowly got up, but was surprised to find his back was not hurting like he had expected it to. He looked up just in time to see Edge charging toward him. He jumped up and managed to leap over the R-rated superstar like he was a hurtle. Jeff winced mentally as he watched Edge run into poor John Cena instead and sent them both crashing into the turnbuckle.

Umaga got to his feet and looked at Jeff smirking, then stormed over and grabbed Edge by his hair and pulled him out to where Jeff was standing in the middle of the ring. Umaga yelled "Fa'a Samoa!", and delivered a samoan spike to Edge, knocking the poor superstar to the ground.

Unexpectedly, Umaga slapped Jeff on the shoulder, officially tagging him in. Since Edge had made contact with Cena, he was technically tagged in too. Jeff hesitated, was Umaga allowing him to pick up the win? Jeff had been in this situation before and had his partner backstab him, so it automatically made him wary. On the other hand Umaga himself was not a sneaky type of fighter.

Umaga motioned to Edge's fallen form and nodded at Jeff. The young Hardy nodded back and got on top of Edge for the pin. The ref looked a little confused, but nonetheless got on the ground and called the three count with the audience and Umaga counting with him.

000

Jeff walked slowly behind Umaga as they headed toward his room. Jeff distantly wondered if John Cena was still mad at him for the swanton bomb.

However, Jeff took some comfort in Umaga knowing that something was going on. Whatwith Matt, Undertaker and Kane all being on Smackdown, which was playing in another city at the time, he felt really alone. Even though his brother called him several times a day to make sure he was okay, it wasn't the same as having Matt there to share the vibe of fear and to know that his big brother was watching over him.

The young Hardy was surprised to discover Umaga's room was just down the hall from the hotel room he was currently sharing with Carlito, the person he roomed with when RAW and Smackdown were in different cities.

When they entered the room, Jeff saw that Umaga had decorated his side of the room with articles that reminded him of his homeland of Samoa. The Samoan flag hung proudly alongside the American flag above his bed, strange looking hand-carved wooden figures sat on the nightstand, and beautiful quilt of intricate designs that were similar to the tattoos on Umaga's body lay across the bed. Gazing at the art gave Jeff a brief moment of peace, until reality snapped back when he heard the beep of a cell phone. Jeff looked up and saw Umaga pulling out his cell phone, and greeting the caller in Samoan.

"Could...Could I use your bathroom, for bit?" Jeff whispered before Umaga's conversation went into full swing.

The samoan nodded and motioned over to the bathroom. Jeff walked inside and pushed the door partly closed, he set down his duffel bag and for moment just stared at himself in the mirror. He took a deep breath and steeled himself before slowly lifting up his shirt.

The young Hardy felt his heart stop as thick black lines slowly revealed themselves as he lifted up his shirt.

_"...When you wake up, if the symbol remains as it is or disappears completely, it means Chiron hasn't chosen you and you're in the clear. However, if the symbol turns black..."_

The Undertaker's words echoed in his mind. The symbol had turned black, Chiron had officially chosen him, that's what the dream was all about.

"It is a bad spirit. The mark comes from the inside."

Jeff turned to see Umaga in the doorway.

"Yeah..." Jeff murmured, as memories of Chiron forcing the black blood done his throat, flashed in front of his eyes. "You could say that..."

"Come," Umaga carefully took Jeff's arm and led him back out into the room. "You tell me about this spirit. How did it curse you?"

Jeff sat down at a table across from Umaga. "Remember when I was abducted a few weeks ago...?"

000

"Come on Jeff...Pick-up..." Matt tried calling his brother for the tenth time, and still no answer. He was getting worried now. Two reasons for Jeff not answering stuck in his mind, and neither of them were good. One, Jeff was hurt and had been taken to the hospital or two...

Matt swallowed hard as the second thought stuck even more. Automatically he dialed Jeff's number again; Again no answer.

The elder Hardy took a deep breath to keep himself from jumping to conclusions. He decided to try a different approach. He went to the number book on his cell phone and found Carlito's number.

"Hey Carlito, is Jeff with you?" Matt asked trying to keep voice calm.

"No, he hasn't come back to the hotel yet." Carlito answered. "I saw him talking to Umaga after the fight but that's the last I saw him."

"Okay, thanks man. Bye." Matt ended the call, but now he was even more dejected and worried. _What was Jeff doing, talking to Umaga? _

000

"...and that's pretty much it." Jeff said, somberly finishing his story, although the second time telling it was not nearly as bad as the first. Perhaps it was the fact that Umaga's eyes, though they were serious, were also a lot more sympathetic to Jeff than the Undertaker's were, or maybe it was the fact that Matt was not present this time around.

Umaga nodded. "So they're making your body ready to house the demon?"

"That's basically what Taker said..." Jeff murmured tiredly, though he couldn't hide his surprise at how calmly Umaga was taking in all this conversation, as if it were an everyday thing. "He said when the symbol turned black after the next dream, that was a sign that Chiron had officially chosen me."

Suddenly, Jeff's eyes widened as if he had forgotten something really important. He jumped up from the table and began rifling through his duffel bag.

"What is wrong?" Umaga got up as well.

"I forgot to call Taker and tell him what happened in the dream. He told me to call him as soon as possible if the symbol turned black." Jeff pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. There the screen said he had ten calls missed, and they were all from Matt. Jeff was about ready to kick himself when he found he had not only forgotten to call his brother after he got back to the hotel, but also that his phone was still on silent so he didn't hear his brother's ten calls. "Shit, my head really isn't screwed on right today, I'm forgetting everything."

"You have too much in here already." Umaga grinned, pointing to his head.

"Yeah, no kidding." Jeff managed a tired smile as he dialed Matt's number. "I'd better let my brother know I haven't been abducted again, first."

Jeff took a deep breath as the phone rang, then a very worried Matt came on. "Hello? Jeff?"

"Hey Matt," Jeff answered wearily, but tried to keep his voice upbeat.

"Jeff?! Are you alright?! Where are you?! Why didn't you answer your cell phone?!!" Matt panicked words came out all at once.

"Matt, Matt. Calm down I'm fine. I'm sorry I forgot my cell phone was on silent." Jeff said gently though he had a touch of embarrassment in his voice when he mentioned the cell phone. "I'm just hanging out at the hotel, I'm okay."

"Jeff how could you do something so stupid!" The harsh words came pouring out of Matt's mouth before he even realized he said them. They were words born from fear and worry for his little brother's safety, not anger. However, the tone of his voice made it sound otherwise. "Shit! I thought you had been abducted again! Do you know how freaked out I've been?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Matt, but I'm a bit freaked out myself!" Jeff snapped back, all of the anger and frustration of the whole situation coming out. "I'm sorry I forgot my phone was on silent, but I had a few more important things to think about, namely Chiron shoving blood down my throat, the symbol turning black, and I haven't gotten any goddamn sleep!"

"Jeff I...Wait, what?!" Matt began, but was interrupted when Jeff hung up.

For a moment Jeff felt good after yelling all of that out, but then he felt sick that he had taken it all out on his brother, whose only crime was worrying too much.

"Why am I yelling at Matt? I should be venting to you, some one I barely know, not to my brother." Jeff groaned outloud to Umaga. " Why can't I talk to him like I always do? The one person I trust the most."

Jeff had not meant for Umaga to consider the question, much less come up with an answer. "You not want to burden him with your troubles."

The young Hardy nodded, that was exactly what he had thought. However the samoan considered the question further. "Or you want protect your brother from what dangers you."

Jeff's jaw nearly dropped. That was it. He was trying to protect Matt. To keep him from being more involved in this than he already was.

"Remind me never to doubt your wisdom Umaga." Jeff smiled tiredly.

Umaga grinned proudly. "My savage face for my enemies, my wisdom for my friends."

"I need all the friends I can get now man..." Jeff sighed dialing the Undertaker's number. He didn't feel like facing Matt again until he'd had a chance to re-gather his wits a little.

"Who is this?" The distinct rough voice of the Undertaker came on the line.

"Hey, it's Jeff. I had another dream"

"Yeah?"

Jeff swallowed hard. "The symbol turned black..."

There was a weary groan from the other side of the line. "All right, where are you? Who are you with?"

"In the hotel, I'm hanging out with Umaga right now."

"Umaga?" There was evident confusion in the Undertaker's voice.

"Yeah, he's got some sort of second sight or something." Jeff answered. "I don't know he seemed to know there was something wrong with me spiritually even before I told him anything."

"Put him on." Taker ordered gravely.

Jeff turned to Umaga and held out the phone. "The Undertaker wants to talk to you."

Umaga nodded and took the phone. "This is Undertaker?"

Taker cleared his throat and answered in Samoan. "Yes, this is the Undertaker."

Umaga's eyebrows shot up in shock; he had not expected the obviously American born Undertaker to know his native language so fluently. "How do you know Samoan?"

"I have my ways and we'll leave it at that, for now." Taker answered gruffly. "Now how did you know about Jeff's spiritual problem?" Taker asked warily, but also warningly.

"I inherited it from my grandfather, the sixth sight." Umaga said. "He could see the dark aura of evil spirits surrounding their afflicted victims. I see it to on Jeff Hardy."

"Hmmm." Taker's serious tone lightened ever so slightly. "Do you or your grandfather know any protection spells or insignias that could protect Jeff from demonic influence?"

"I do. But I do not know if they will be strong enough," Umaga looked over at Jeff who had unceremoniously fallen asleep. "The aura around him is strong, even though there is no direct possession yet."

"It's better than nothing." Taker stated. "Where is RAW staying tonight?"

Umaga listed off the location of the hotel while he undid the straps on Jeff's boots and pulled them off.

"All right, Kane and I will be there in a few hours," Taker stated. "Don't let Jeff Hardy out of your sight until we get there."

"Yes." Umaga said firmly.

"Good." Taker said before hanging up.

Umaga flipped the cell phone closed, before he pulled the Samoan embroidered quilt over the soundly sleeping Jeff. Umaga sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed, feeling suddenly weary himself.

Suddenly, Jeff's cell phone rang. Umaga debated on whether to answer it or not until he saw it was Matt Hardy trying to call his brother. The Samoan had been present earlier when the two brothers had their little phone argument and thought it best to answer the phone and let the elder Hardy know that his little brother was all right and not mad at him anymore.

"Hello? Matt Hardy?" Umaga answered the phone.

"Yeah. Who is this?" Matt answered back, apprehension clearly in his voice that Jeff had not answered the phone.

"Umaga. Jeff is all right he is sleeping now." Umaga said trying to make his rough voice as gentle as possible to put Matt at ease. "He's not angry anymore at you."

"Good." Matt's voice became more relaxed. "But why is he with you?"

"He had my back in the match today," Umaga stated matter-of-factly. "And he has a spiritual problem. I will help him. So will The Undertaker and Kane."

"Wait, Taker and Kane are there?" Matt rasped in surprise at discovering he was being completely left out of the loop.

"They're coming."

"Ah..." Matt murmured trying to tamp down some of the frustration beginning to build within him. "Better make extra room, because I'm coming too!"

Before Umaga could answer, Matt Hardy hung up. The Samoan bulldozer sighed wearily again. This was going to be a long night...

000

_Oh dear Poor Jeff is officially Chiron's body of choice, and poor Umaga has been dragged into the situation as well. Hopefully Matt and Jeff can patch things up between each other as well._


	7. The Proposition

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_NOTE: On June 26th, 2007 according the WWE schedule Smackdown is giving a show in San Antonio, TX, while RAW is in Corpus Cristi, TX. This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion._

000

It was just like before, the thorny bushes and the river of boiling blood.

Despite being in hell, Jeff shivered, feeling a little cold. Perhaps it was the fear of seeing Chiron again, or perhaps it was just Chiron's cold blood in his stomach.

He walked along the bank trying to ignore the screams and moans of the people drowning in it. Though he did let his mind wander as to why they were in there in the first place. Up ahead he saw what looked to be a girl lying on the bank, she was immersed in the river only up to her ankles.

Jeff had kneeled down next to her and reached out to nudge her shoulder, when she lifted up her head to look at him. The Hardy was surprised to see how young the girl was, she couldn't have been older than her mid 20's. What was someone so young and rather pretty doing here?

"What happened to you?" Jeff asked softly.

The girl looked at him with dead, tired eyes. She had the look of someone who was clearly on some sort of hard substance. Jeff regretfully knew that look well.

"Overdose," she answered. "Heroine. I was on it for a long time."

"I'm sorry," Jeff whispered.

"I deserve this." Surprisingly a look of resignation replaced the dead tiredness on her face. "I robbed people; I hurt them to get more and more. I did violence to those I loved, violence to others and violence to myself."

"I see..." Jeff murmured sadly.

"A pathetic choice for the course of one's life," a deep voice rumbled from above Jeff, sending shivers up and down his spine.

The young Hardy looked up to see Chiron. He quickly got to his feet and backed away from the demon.

Chiron pulled the girl up so she was standing in the bloody waters again. "Stand up, girl... Your time is nearly done."

_At least she's not screaming in agony like the others,_ Jeff thought with some relief.

"She does not scream because she does not deny her sin, and accepts the pain of her punishment," Chiron stated. "I can read your mind. I can read your soul."

Jeff gulped, and not knowing how to respond, he simply nodded.

"Pathetic. Born with everything to live for. Wasted," Chiron said, running his fingers through the girl's hair. However, his usual monotone had a twinge of genuine anger in it. "She squandered her gift of life, abused it, and killed it."

"Maybe she had a reason," Jeff whispered, his mind recalling his own abuses to his body.

"She did. That is why the river level is so low and her sentence so short," Chiron said turning away from the girl. "Of course, there are many more darker souls here than this one."

Suddenly, Jeff felt Chiron's hand on his lower back, nudging him forward. Despite himself, Jeff followed Chiron's lead toward the river. As Chiron stepped into the river, the blood turned to solid ice just below his feet. As he kept walking a bridge of ice formed under his feet. Jeff was careful to stay in step with Chiron; he did not want to fall in to the river.

As they drew closer to the deepest part of the river, the screams and moans only got louder. Jeff put his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the noise, but the screams seemed to pierce through his very being.

Chiron wrapped his hands around Jeff's wrists and pulled the young Hardy's hands away.

"I know what you think," Chiron whispered into Jeff's now uncovered left ear. "You pity their suffering. You should not waste your pity."

"Why not?" Jeff asked, trembling a little.

Chiron moved now to whisper into Jeff's right ear. "Shall I tell you why some of these souls are here?"

"What did they do to deserve this?"

Chiron extended an arm and pointed with one bony, clawed finger. "You see that man there, the one immersed up to his neck?"

Jeff gulped and nodded.

"He beat, raped and murdered his own daughter," Chiron said coldly.

Jeff shook his head in disbelief. It was too overwhelming, he wasn't sure whether be afraid, angry or just break down and cry. He felt his stomach turn over and a lump form in his throat.

Chiron placed a hand on Jeff's stomach, freezing up the churning. "Now don't you think he deserves this suffering for all the suffering he caused and the life he stole from her?"

"Well...yeah..." Jeff said slowly. "I mean... Well, it's obvious that guy deserves it. But I still don't understand why that girl who overdosed is here in the same place as that horrible guy?"

"She committed violence against herself," Chiron stated.

"But if you are just harming yourself, and not anyone else, why is that punishable?"

"By doing violence to yourself, you hurt others indirectly. Take the girl from before, with her biological make-up she would have lived a very long life, had she not gone down the path she chose. How sad that your mother, a person who appreciated the gift of life given her, died from a faulty biological structure."

"Stop. Don't go there man," Jeff growled, but his voice wavered a little.

"Your mother is a person who appreciated life, instead of taking it for granted like the girl here. Tell me, should not the girl be punished for the violence against herself that destroyed the gift of a biologically long life, something that you and your family wanted for your mother?"

"Don't ask me that. That...it...That isn't fair..." Jeff said weakly, turning away, horrified and ashamed to find in the depths of his mind and heart, he had wondered and wished the same thing. Why did a good person his mother die of a brain tumor, when so many biologically healthy people took their health for granted and even went so far as to abuse themselves?

'"You do agree with me..." Chiron stated, with a slight hint of satisfaction in that cold voice. "Good. You are not so naive about your world. Perhaps you will understand."

"Understand what?" Jeff looked back at Chiron warily.

"What I intend to do when I enter the Earth realm."

"What would you do?" Jeff asked quietly, though he was ashamed that he was genuinely curious about it.

A crooked smile spread across the demon's face; a face clearly unfamiliar with such an expression. "Clean up the mess the Earth realm has become. The same wars and the same crimes are being committed over and over again. I would cleanse the Earth of all those who would commit violence against their fellow man. No more war, no more murder, no more violence on the Earth."

A look of awe replaced the fear on Jeff's face. "How would you do that?"

Chiron's twisted smile grew broader. "I can read the souls of mortals; I can see the vile intentions in their minds. I would take their souls directly to hell where they belong, before they commit their atrocities."

Jeff slowly nodded.

"Now, I have a proposition for you." The smile disappeared from Chiron's face.

The young Hardy's eyes widened a little and he swallowed hard. "Yeah?"

"Give me the use of your body willingly, and I will trouble your dreams no more, until it is time, when the doors are weak," Chiron held out his hand to Jeff. "And after I am finished it will be returned to you in better condition than before you gave it to me."

Jeff stared at the demon in disbelief. "I..."

000

Umaga was startled by a loud knock at the hotel room door.

"Who is it?" he asked cautiously. He assumed it was either the Undertaker or his manager Estrada, but he wanted to make sure before opening any doors.

"Undertaker." His unmistakable deep, gravelly voice came from behind the door.

Umaga opened the door to find not only the Undertaker standing there, but also his brother Kane, and a rather odd looking man Umaga had never seen before. The man had his face painted in an intricate design of red and black with yellow highlights. He wore feathered bands around his arms and carried a gnarled wooden staff, and he had a strange, wild look in his dark eyes

"Jeff is sleeping. I did not know whether to wake him or not," Umaga said, letting the other men in. "He keeps talking while he sleeps, but I cannot understand what he's saying."

The Samoan reached out a hand to wake Jeff.

"Not just yet." The Undertaker stopped him. "I want to see what he is dreaming. Hopefully it will be one sent by Chiron and I can see it for myself, and I think it will be good for the Boogeyman to see it too."

"Boogeyman?" Umaga furrowed his brow confusion and looked at the unfamiliar man standing next to Kane.

"My tag-team partner, he calls himself the Boogeyman." Kane grinned, motioning to the man next to him. "Turns out he's an expert in dream-catching."

Umaga nodded, still eyeing the Boogeyman warily.

The Boogeyman strode over to stand next to the Undertaker and studied the sleeping Jeff.

"I see the aura of a nightmare, a strong one, a message from the world beyond." As the Boogeyman spoke, his body made jerky movements that punctuated each word he said. "A powerful being sends him these things, a powerful creature indeed."

The Undertaker nodded. "Right. The one sending them is a demon named Chiron. Do you think you might have a method of protecting Jeff from the dreams?"

The Boogeyman pulled out a book from his bag. "Chiron is powerful. But I think I might have something to stop the dreams. However, there is a problem."

"And what is that?" Kane asked.

"You say, he swallowed demon blood, demon aura within him would eat away at the dream spell I put on him," the Boogeyman explained gravely.

"Hmm...That is a problem." Taker scratched his chin pensively.

Umaga spoke up, "I think I can block the demon aura."

"Good. You and Boogey can discuss some way to combine your magic," Taker said, and turning to Kane, he continued, "Kane, give them any help or reaper advice you can." He turned back to Jeff. "I'm going in."

Taker placed a hand on Jeff's head, careful not to wake the sleeping Hardy, and concentrated...

000

"Give me the use of your body willingly, and I will trouble your dreams no more, until it is time, when the doors are weak," Chiron held out his hand to Jeff. "And after I am finished it will be returned to you in better condition than before you gave it to me."

Jeff stared at the demon in disbelief. "I..."

"Do you not want to rid the world of useless people who would only do harm to others?" Chiron extended his arm even more towards Jeff. "Come, help me do this."

The young Hardy hesitated, looking down at the outstretched white hand with black claws. He took a deep breath and slowly reached out his hand toward the demon.

Suddenly Jeff's hand became a fist and he punched Chiron across the face with all his might.

"NO!" Jeff shouted at the top of his lungs. "It's not right! Forget that you've been making my life miserable for the past month! Never mind you shoved your blood down my throat, and are driving me crazy with sleep deprivation! No! It's not just that! What you want to do is wrong!"

Chiron, his face punched to the side by the young Hardy's fist, turned his face back towards Jeff. There was a dark, menacing look on his face that would send shivers down even a reaper's spine. "You should not have done that."

"Look, man, you can't send people to hell for what they might do! Even if you can read souls," Jeff shouted at the top of his lungs. "Anyone can have an intention, but whether you follow-up on it or not, makes you who you are! That's what separates the good from the bad! A thought or an intention means nothing if the person does not act on it!"

Chiron's face did not change. "That was the same answer God, Grim and even Lucifer gave me. But they created and run the Earth realm, and to admit I am right would be to admit an error in themselves, and they have too much pride and superiority to do that. You will regret your choice."

"Leave him alone Chiron!"

Both the demon and Jeff turned to see the Undertaker, standing not far away, looking the same as he always did, except now he held a huge scythe at his side. Jeff never thought he would be so happy to see "the Deadman" in all his life. The young Hardy immediately bolted from his place in front of Chiron to stand next to Taker.

"You have no business here, reaper," Chiron's cold, monotone voice returned, though there was an extra bite on the word "reaper."

"A demon planning an invasion into the earth realm through this mortal is my business," Taker growled back.

Chiron studied Taker for a moment. "Ah, you are one of _those_ reapers. The ones trained in keeping agents of heaven and agents of hell out of the Earth realm."

"I am. And you'd better remember that, because if you come through the gate, I'll be there, waiting to throw you right back through it in to hell," Taker snarled.

An urbane smile tugged at Chiron's lips. "I think not..."

Suddenly the scenery and Chiron began to fade as Jeff began to wake up...

000

Jeff awoke to the sounds of voices near by. He could feel his heart beating at an abnormally fast pace with fear. He slowly opened his eyes and was relieved to find he was in a regular hotel room. However, he found it odd that he was sleeping on the end of the bed.

He lifted his head and found that the blanket pulled over him was the pretty Samoan quilt he had seen on Umaga's bed. It was then he saw the dark form of the Undertaker standing above him.

"What exactly did Chiron offer you?" Taker asked, getting straight to the point.

Jeff looked up at Taker, still a little dazed with sleep. "What? Oh..." He sat up, shaking his head to clear it, before continuing. "He said that if I went along willingly, he wouldn't show up in my dreams any more and he'd give me body back when he finished."

Suddenly, the Undertaker smirked, a genuine pleased smirk with amusement mixed in. Jeff automatically leaned back little bit, the only thing scarier than the Undertaker's icy stare, was his smirk. It meant he was up to something, something that was bad for you.

"And you said 'no.'" The smirk on Taker's face grew broader. "And then you gave the bastard a punch for good measure."

"Yeah..." Jeff answered slowly.

A smirk crossed Kane's face as well, and he laughed. "Excellent!"

"That was the right thing to do right?" Jeff glanced back and forth between the brothers of destruction, not sure whether to be frightened or not.

Undertaker gave a small sinister chuckle alongside his brother's laughter. "Exactly right, even better since you punched him."

"Yeah?" Jeff smiled a little, starting to feel a little better about the punch since he had Taker and Kane's approval. However, he frowned when he realized Chiron was going to be angry at him the next time he fell asleep. "I'm a little scared to go to sleep now; Chiron's going to be pissed at me..."

Now it was the Undertaker's turn to frown as he realized the grave situation, however Kane remained smiling.

"Boogey, Umaga, and I have been talking over things, and we think we've come up with a spell to protect you," Kane said rather proudly.

"Really?!" Jeff beamed at them.

"Yes," Umaga nodded back, but suddenly became serious. "But it take time to make mixture for protection symbol."

"Oh..." Jeff lowered his head a little, his burst of happiness quickly fading.

"What mixture?" asked Taker, quirking an eyebrow.

"For the protection Tattoo," the Boogeyman answered. "It will temper the demon aura inside him, and shield him from the nightmares. It will be permanent, yet temporary."

"Permanent, yet temporary? What does that mean?" Jeff asked warily.

"Like a henna tattoo. It lasts for a long time but it eventually wears away," Kane explained.

"Okay...I get it." Jeff nodded. "Um...How long will it take for you to make the stuff?"

"Four to six days, depending how long it takes to get the ingredients." Boogeyman grinned.

"Oh man..." Jeff moaned, pulling the Samoan quilt over his head. "That's going to be four days I'm spending in hell if Chiron has anything to say about it."

Taker let out a frustrated groan as he rolled his eyes and pulled the quilt off. "Not necessarily." "He's already sent you two dreams in one day. One of which he actually had physical contact with you. It's very trying on him, and every time he sends you a dream, he is taking his watchful eye off the souls under his charge."

"So he might not come after me again?" Jeff asked hopefully.

"Hopefully. At least you may get a small reprieve," Taker said solemnly.

Jeff lowered his head and nodded slowly. "Wait...So I'm not actually in hell in the dreams?"

"No, he's projecting what is going on in the seventh layer into your mind. Like a hologram," Kane explained. "A very vivid and interactive hologram."

"Then the whole blood thing...That wasn't real?" Jeff stared at him in shock, it seemed so real and he could still feel the coldness in his stomach.

"No, the symbol turned black, that was real," Taker said. "My guess is Chiron sent an incubus in the form of a security guard or wrestler, and found you while you slept in the locker room."

"Incase you don't know, Incubi are created by demons to act as their agents in the other realms," Kane explained. "These creations have the blood of their creator in their veins. All Chiron's incubus would have to do is slit its wrist to deliver the blood to you while you slept."

"Clever bastard. Oh well, it doesn't really matter, what happened, happened and that's it." Jeff lifted up his head. Though his eyes remained sullen, he did his best to look grateful. "I really wanna thank you guys for coming all the way down here to help me in all this. I know the trip from San Antonio where Smackdown is to RAW in Corpus Christi a long drive in Texas. I really do appreciate it."

Taker shrugged. "As reapers it is our duty to make sure Chiron does not make it easier for himself to possess you and enter the Earth realm."

"Yeah...I guessed that, but still...Thanks."

A loud knock at the door startled them all. Umaga went to answer it and found Matt Hardy standing there, looking very apprehensive.

"Um, is my brother Jeff here?" the elder Hardy asked quietly, but firmly.

"Yes." Umaga stepped aside to reveal Jeff, sitting on the end of the bed, and Taker, Kane and the Boogeyman sitting at a table near the window.

"Matt," Jeff's sullen face immediately brightened up, but then fell again as he remembered the harsh words he had said to Matt over the phone before.

"Hey," Matt greeted him as he approached the bed, a nervous smile on his face. "I'm, uh... I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, it just sort of all came out in a wrong way."

Jeff smiled gently back. "I said mean things too."

Matt returned the smile. "Well, I brought a peace offering anyway."

The elder Hardy reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a bag of skittles. Jeff's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"You're the best brother in the world." Jeff hugged Matt's arm. Matt grinned and patted Jeff's head.

"Oh, gross..." Kane groaned. "They've made up and now they're being so nice to each other it's pathetic."

"Yeah, I guess it kind of is." Jeff chuckled. "But you have no idea what these skittles mean to me right now."

The young Hardy tore open the bag and shoved a whole handful of skittles in his mouth, looking as if he had just eaten a little piece of heaven.

"Come on let's get out of here," Taker grumbled, getting up.

"Now?" Kane asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"What? You want us to stay and end up like Wally and the Beaver over there?" Taker jerked his thumb at Matt, who had his arm around his brother, and Jeff, who looked like he was high on skittles.

"No!" Kane jumped to his feet and made for the door. "Come on, Boogey, Umaga, we can continue our talk about insignia ingredients in the bar on the top floor."

"I guess I'll get a room then." Taker went after Kane and Boogey.

"You coming?" Umaga looked at the two Hardy's and motioned for the door. "You are welcome to stay here too."

"Thanks Umaga, but I better head back to my room before Carlito gets Torrie in there and shuts me out." Jeff chuckled. "Come on, Matt, you can help me defend my claim to the room."

Umaga chuckled as well, as he opened the door for the two brothers, and followed them out.

000

"So what's been going on?" Matt asked once they had entered Jeff's room and made sure Carlito wasn't there. "I feel so out of the loop."

"Sorry, Matt...Everything's happening so fast I can barely keep up." Jeff sighed and crashed down on his bed.

Matt carefully settled down next to him. "So what's happening?"

"Chiron wants my hot body." Jeff groaned.

Matt tried to hold back his laughter, but an amused snort escaped. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You make me laugh too easily." He managed to get his voice under control and turned serious. "He chose you, huh?"

Jeff just nodded, not wanting to worry Matt further by going into detail about the dream.

Matt sighed and began gently playing with his little brother's hair.

"That feels nice," Jeff murmured, looking at Matt drowsily. "You know Kane said he and Umaga and the Boogeyman have figured out a way to stop the dreams."

"That's good, hopefully you'll sleep easier tonight," Matt whispered, continuing to stroke Jeff's hair.

"I hope so," Jeff yawned. "I can't believe I'm still sleepy. Could you stay here tonight?"

"I was hoping you'd ask, I wasn't looking forward to driving right back to San Antonio." Matt chuckled, before yawning. "I'd better brush my teeth before I drift off."

Jeff smiled as he watched his brother go into bathroom. "Good to have you here, brother."

000

_**Author's Note:**_

_Aw, Matt and Jeff made-up. I'm sorry; I couldn't resist the insert of Jeff's love for skittles. I see it as his comfort food that he eats in times of trouble. It was inspired by Shadowcat619's story "Jeff and the Skittles." It's a fun read you should check it out!_

_In case you have never seen any of the old sitcoms, the reference Taker made to "Wally and the Beaver" was about two brothers from the 50's sitcom "Leave to Beaver". It is a show that is considered the archetype show for showing America in its "simpler" days. _


	8. The Diva

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__ Now I know in real life Jeff has a girlfriend named Beth, I've seen her on the Hardy Show and she is so cool, and I wish them the best of luck for their relationship. However, for the sake of this story Beth does not exist._

_On July 2nd, 2007 according the WWE schedule Smackdown and RAW are giving a show in Dallas, TX. This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, John Cena, Maria and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Batista, Kane, the Boogeyman, the Undertaker and Ashley are still on Smackdown. Also, Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Jeff and Matt are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Jeff was strapping on his boots, and getting ready for his upcoming match. This one actually might be fun, as it was an eight fighter mixed match. Since _Smackdown!_ and _RAW_ were in the same city that night, the Tag-team Champion Hardy Boyz, Jeff and Matt would be performing together. However, tonight they would be joined by two Divas, Ashley from _Smackdown_ and Maria from _RAW_. The four of them would be going up against Women's Champion Melina, her man Johnny Nitro, Torrie Wilson and Kenny Dykstra.

Jeff and Maria had been in a tag-team match together once before, facing Melina and Johnny Nitro back in January and apparently the audience had taken a liking to the pairing, hence they were being paired up again.

If nothing else, Jeff had slept a lot easier the past few days. Surprisingly, Chiron had not entered his dreams since the day the demon had made his offer.

The young Hardy had just finished buckling the last boot strap when he heard a knock at the door to the men's locker room. He got up and opened the door, only to find his tag-team partner, Maria, standing there. The poor girl was a mess, her hair was all mussed up and the red cat suit she wore for her ring attire was torn in several places and looked ready to fall off at any moment.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Jeff, a little dumbfounded, asked.

"I got jumped by Melina and Torri Wilson on my way over." Maria blushed, trying to keep what was left of the cat suit from falling off. "Do you have an extra pair of pants I could borrow for the match?"

"Yeah, come on in." Jeff ushered her into the room and over to his locker. He began to quickly rummage through his duffel bag. Being an artist who liked to paint his face and dye his hair; he always brought a couple of extra pairs of pants along with him. He had to hurry; they only had fifteen minutes before they were on. He pulled out several pairs of pants, before finding one that might fit, as well as a belt to help the pants stay on the slim-waisted diva.

"Jeff, you dog." Shelton Benjamin chuckled when he saw Maria's haggard appearance.

"I wish." Jeff laughed back, and Maria giggled. "Nah, this was the result of a hallway cat fight."

"Oh, yeah?" Benjamin's interest peaked. "Who against who?"

"Melina and Torrie ambushed me," Maria answered.

"Damn! I wish I could've seen that!" Shelton suddenly got a dreamy look on his face, as he seemed to be imagining the fight.

"Me too." Jeff winked at Maria, handing her the pants, and escorting her to the one of the bathroom stalls, where she could change in private. Meanwhile, Jeff stood guard just outside the stall.

"Um, Jeff," Maria called shakily from inside the stall. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra shirt too; I forgot I'm not wearing a bra under this."

"Aw, man." Jeff groaned wearily; then a light bulb went on in his head. "Here, hand me the rest of that cat suit thing."

Maria tossed the red cat suit over the stall door and Jeff immediately went to work. Keeping Maria's rather lovely form in his mind, he ripped and tore at the cat suit, making a top that would at least get Maria through the match.

"Hey, Maria, I got an idea for a top for you, but um...I'm gonna have to come in there to put it together on you." Despite the fact Jeff was not speaking to her face to face, his cheeks turned a little pink. "It's okay; I swear I'm an artist."

There was a giggle from inside the stall. "It's okay; I think I can trust you." She opened the stall door.

Jeff came in, respectfully trying to avert eyes and save Maria's modesty she had his pants on now, but was completely topless. However, he could not help sneaking a tiny peek at the hot half-naked diva before him. Even with her arms crossed over her chest, he still got a pretty good eyeful of her.

"Like what you see?" Maria giggled.

"Oh my god, they are real." Jeff chuckled.

"Haha, very funny, Mister," Maria smirked, playfully slapping Jeff on the butt as he moved around to stand behind her.

"Why, Ms. Kanellis, this is so sudden!" Jeff teased, over exaggerating his southern accent.

Maria laughed and helped Jeff wrap a piece of cloth torn from her cat suit around her torso. While Maria held the large piece in place, Jeff picked up the very long strips he had made out of the cat suit's legs. He wrapped the strip around her abdomen several times to secure the large piece, tying it off in the back. When finished it looked like a make-shift tube top.

"Huh, not bad." Jeff grinned. "Now we should do a bounce test. Jump up and down."

"What?" Maria looked at the young Hardy as if he were crazy.

"I'm serious; we want to make sure that thing's not going to come apart."

Maria shrugged, and started bouncing up and down, trying not to laugh. The top stayed in place.

Jeff laughed. "All right, test passed! Let's go, before Coachman comes hunting for us."

Two minutes later, Jeff and Maria arrived at the entrance tunnel where their tag-team partners, Matt and Ashley, were waiting. Just ahead were their opponents, Melina, Johnny Nitro, Torrie Wilson, and Kenny Dykstra, were waiting. They would be going out first.

"Hey there you guys are, we were getting worried," Ashley greeted Maria and Jeff cheerfully.

"Wait a minute..." Matt turned serious when he noticed Maria's attire, an amused smirk crossing his face. He raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Aren't those _your_ pants, Jeff?"

Ashley looked at Matt open mouthed, then back at Jeff and Maria. "No wonder you guys were almost late."

Jeff rolled his eyes while Maria blushed furiously. "Wipe those pervy smiles off your faces right now."

"Well what else do you expect us to think? She is wearing your pants." Matt chuckled.

"She had a wardrobe malfunction, man," Jeff insisted. When Matt and Ashley got that "yeah right" look, Maria stepped in. "Jeff's telling the truth, and it was thanks to a hallway ambush by Melina and Torrie."

"Well, I can understand," Ashley nodded. "We'll let you guys off this time."

"But no Hanky-Panky during the match," Matt teased.

Jeff crossed his arms over his chest and gave his older brother a look. "Well if that ain't the pot calling the cattle black I don't know what is..."

Just then the Hardy Boyz theme came on and the four of them headed out into the arena.

000

Jeff sat on his bed, sketching out an idea he had in his head, while Matt was in the bathroom getting ready for a night on the town with Ashley.

"Hey, I haven't seen you draw something in awhile," Matt came out of the bathroom and put on his coat.

"Yeah, I finally got some new inspiration," Jeff said, not taking his eyes off the drawing.

Matt grinned. "And would that 'inspiration' have auburn hair, bedroom eyes, conduct interviews, and go by the name Maria?"

"I'm afraid so," Jeff grinned back. "And before you get that nasty smirk on your face, it had nothing to do with her second wardrobe malfunction."

The "second wardrobe malfunction" occurred towards the end of that match when Johnny Nitro accidentally pulled on the knot that held Maria's top together. The end result was an impromptu expose'. Fortunately for what modesty Maria had left, Jeff quickly located the shirt Matt always discarded at the beginning of a match, and handed it to her. Unfortunately, Johnny Nitro was not so lucky and ended up getting slapped by Melina for looking at the exposed Maria for too long. This proved to be ill timed on Melina's part for Ashley capitalized on the distraction, and pulled Melina into a lay-up for the win.

"Yeah, I know the average lewd stuff isn't good enough for the Charismatic Enigma's drawings." Matt chuckled, then turning a little more serious, he said, "Sure you don't want to tag along with Ashley and me tonight?"

In all honesty Jeff really wanted to. Since all the trouble with Chiron had started, Jeff never really felt safe being alone. However, the last thing he wanted to be was a burden to his brother, and even though Chiron had not bothered his dreams for the last few days, he still had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

"Nah, I'm a little tired." Jeff yawned. "I think I'll just stick around and have my sketch book and the TV keep me company."

"All, right." Matt said heading for the door. "Catch you later, Bro!"

Jeff turned back to his drawing and smiled as lovely images of Maria gracefully performing a moonsault off the top rope danced through his head. He pulled out a sky blue colored pencil and continued the drawing. An hour passed uninterrupted until there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Jeff asked cautiously.

"Maria," a cheerful voice called from outside.

It instantly made Jeff throw caution to the wind. He opened the door, and found the lovely diva, standing there, now fully clothed.

"Oh, hey, Maria. What brings you by?" Jeff put on the warmest smile he could muster.

"Just came to return these," Maria smiled back and handed him a plastic bag with his pants and Matt's shirt in it.

"Oh, thanks, I almost forgot about these."

"You're welcome."

The two stood for a moment, neither sure how best to end the conversation.

"Well I...I guess I'll head back to my room." Maria started to turn around. "Have a good night."

"Hey, um..." Jeff stopped her. "If you're not doing anything tonight, wanna hang out for a bit? I'm mean; I'm a bit tired so I'm not going to go out. I was thinking we could just stay in and watch a movie, and if you want to join me," Jeff's cheeks flushed a little as he fumbled over his words, trying get that he had good intentions across. "I'd...I'd like that very much."

Maria smiled shyly. "I'd love to."

"Really?" Jeff beamed at her. "Then come on in."

Maria giggled and walked into the room. "So what are we watching?"

"Meh. Some campy eighties horror movies." Jeff shrugged.

"Sounds like fun!" Maria sat down on the bed, careful not to sit on any of Jeff's drawings.

Jeff grinned and put the video in the VCR. Meanwhile, Maria looked at his drawings. "Hey! These are really cool!"

"Yeah?" Jeff came over and sat down next to her. "I said I was an artist."

Maria laughed. "And here I thought you were just saying that to get me to let you into the bathroom stall."

Jeff chuckled. "No, no my intentions were good."

Maria giggled. "Good to know. I wish I could draw. I once tried drawing Torrie's dog and it looked like a sausage with legs."

Jeff threw back his head and laughed. "Hehe, sounds like when Matt tried to draw his dog Lucas!"

"Really?!" Maria started to laugh again along with him, when another drawing caught her eye. "Oooh... I like this one. She looks so strong and powerful."

The drawing she held up was the one Jeff had been working on earlier. It looked like a woman made of blue fire flying through the air.

"Yeah..." Jeff smiled fondly at the picture. "I just started this one today after the match."

"Really? I can't wait to see it all finished," She beamed at him excitedly.

"It's coming along pretty good." Jeff looked up and stared intently at Maria. " I had some real vivid inspiration for it."

Maria noticed the look Jeff was giving her, and stared just as intently back at him. "Yeah..?"

Jeff leaned forward a little, quickly becoming absorbed into Maria's emerald eyes and beautiful face. After all the horror his eyes had seen in his dreams, he wanted nothing more than to gaze upon something beautiful. Little did he know she was leaning in to meet him. The next thing he did know was the feel of her lips brushing against his, warm and soft. The scent of vanilla and roses hung heavy in the small breadth of air between them. Jeff wanted another taste. He closed the tiny distance between them and planted a kiss on her lips.

To Jeff Hardy's surprise she took the initiative and deepened the kiss. He could feel her tongue teasing his lips apart. He gave in almost instantly, and parted his teeth to allow her entrance. Slender arms wrapped around his neck and soft hands slid under his shirt and down his back, sending pleasurable shivers through his spine.

Any man would be lucky to have the woman he now held in his arms. And it was then he remembered someone did already have her.

_CM Punk..._

Jeff broke the kiss and pulled away from her embrace.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered.

"For what...?" Maria looked honestly bewildered

"Advancing on you like that," Jeff said, his face the mask of guilt, like a child who had been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. He looked away from her and out the window. "I'm sorry; I've just been feeling a little needy lately. But I sure as hell don't want to make like Edge and come between you and your guy."

"Oh..." Maria looked down, and answered slowly. "Well you're not like Edge...He didn't wait until Matt and Lita had broken up. You did."

Jeff turned around and quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"CM and I broke it off a couple months ago..." Maria explained, keeping her head lowered. "I think after awhile we discovered our personalities and lifestyles clashed a little too much and started a lot of fights. We didn't want to end up hating each other so we called it quits, and decided to go back to being friends. Though I guess I've been feeling a little needy too... I'm sorry I took advantage of your neediness."

Maria got up and started heading for the door.

"Wait." Jeff shook his head. He didn't want her to leave, he wanted to feel those arms about him again, those lips against his, even more now that they were free to do it. "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do. I just didn't want it be something that would come between you and someone you love."

She turned around a looked at him, her face strangely unreadable.

Jeff rubbed the back of his head absently. "And I just want you to know I didn't have these intentions when I invited you in. I just didn't want to be alone."

Maria smiled and shut the door. She came over wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck again. "Well, if I had been abducted by a creepy cult, I wouldn't want to be left alone either." She kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Yeah..." Jeff breathed, kissing her back. Resting his forehead against hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist. The vanilla scent, she was wearing, made her all the more intoxicating and he began to feel a little drowsy.

They remained like that for a few minute before a scream erupted behind them. They both jumped about ten feet into the air before they realized the scream had come from the horror movie playing on the TV.

"Oh dear, looks like one of the big breasted bimbos is about to get the axe." Maria giggled, as she untangled herself from Jeff's embrace and sat down on the bed. "That one kind of looks like Torrie."

Jeff laughed, taking a seat next to her. "Yeah, it does kinda look like her."

They looked at each other and laughed, both falling back onto the bed. They rolled onto their sides as their giggles subsided, facing each other.

Jeff smiled, gazing at her. He placed a hand on the side of her face, and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Stay with me? We don't have to do anything, just stay..."

She smiled and kissed his hand, before scooting more into his embrace. "And if I want to do something?"

"I'm all yours." He smiled back.

"Great!" she said, suddenly jumping up. "I would love to practice some massage techniques."

"Huh? What?" Jeff looked taken completely off guard at the sudden change in mood.

"I'm training to be a massage therapist, a skill to fall back on in case the WWE doesn't work out," she said proudly.

"Yeah...?" Jeff said, sitting up, still a little bewildered.

"I'll be right back; I just need to get my book from my room. Don't go away," she said as she pranced out of the room.

Jeff just stared at the door, still very confused at what he had just gotten himself into. By the time he started coming up with ideas as to what was going on, Maria had returned with a thick book in her hand.

"Now lie down and relax and I'll give you a nice massage," she said cheerily.

"Wait a minute...You're still training from the book?" Jeff got a very worried look on his face. "Look, Hon, my back is screwed up enough, it doesn't need to be 'practiced' on..."

"Don't worry; I'm just going to do some of the relaxation techniques, not any of the therapy ones," she assured him, patting the bed next to her for him to lay down.

Jeff slowly laid down, looking very wary and tense about having an amateur work on him, particularly his poor back. It didn't ease his fears any when he saw her flipping though the pages looking for just the right one. He tensed up even more when she finally placed a hand in the middle of his back.

"Now I think there is supposed to be a good spot right about here..." Maria messaged the area she had her hands on.

Jeff's eyes rolled back in his head as he let out a moan of pleasure. "Oh man... Mark that page..."

Maria giggled as she continued the massage. "I'm going to branch out along your back from here, okay?"

"Branch away." Jeff chuckled

"Feeling relaxed?" Maria giggled softly.

"Yeah..." Jeff murmured as his body melted into complete relaxation.

"You know it might feel even better if you took your shirt off," Maria suggested with a slightly suggestive edge to her voice.

Jeff almost threw off his shirt right then and there, when he remembered Chiron's symbol was still burned into the skin of his abdomen.

"Um...Maybe not, well not on the first date." Jeff chuckled. "Just in case Matt decides to come back unexpectedly. The last thing I want is him giving me a hard time about it."

"Hmmm, let's see if we can get around that..." Maria said thoughtfully, sliding her hands underneath Jeff's shirt.

The young Hardy felt pleasurable sensations run down his spine and other places even farther down that made him flush a little. He flushed even more when her hands slid down the sides of his waist and around his lower abdomen. He prayed she wouldn't discover the hard on he was starting to get from her ministrations on his back. To be honest, he was not exactly sure of her intentions toward him, one minute they were passionately kissing and the next she was using him as a practice message patient. Not that he minded that part of it since she was quite good, but still, the situation was quite confusing.

In the end he decided to just put things on the back burner, and enjoy Maria's talents. However, his enjoyment was short lived when image of Chiron flashed before his eyes and the demon's cold voice echoed in his head.

_"You should not have refused my offer..."_

A sharp pain shot through the middle of his stomach, then spread out through his whole abdomen. Jeff reflexively curled into fetal position and wrapped his arms around his stomach. He squeezed his eyes shut and again Chiron appeared.

_"Now you shall suffer..."_

Jeff whimpered and bit down on the bed covers as the pain intensified. Sweat broke out on his forehead as his neurons screamed in agony. After two minutes that seemed like two hours, the pain finally subsided. Letting go of the bed covers, he rolled over on to his back and just lay there, panting, while his nerves and muscles recovered from the onslaught.

He slowly opened his eyes and glanced through blurred vision around the room. No sign of Maria. He guessed she had run away in terror over what had happened. He closed his eyes and wished for her to come back. Just the thought of her soft hands on his skin soothed him.

Suddenly, something cool wiped away the sweat on his face. He opened his eyes and there she was.

"Hey," She said softly. "Want me to call an ambulance?"

"No, no...It's okay..." Jeff rasped, thinking quickly. "It was just a...a muscle spasm."

"Are you sure?" Maria's eyes filled with concern, as she wiped his face down with the cool cloth.

"Yeah..."Jeff murmured, and tried to sit up, but now his abdominal muscles were stiff and sore from being tightly contracted while Chiron tortured him. He fell back against the bed with a groan.

"Jeff..." Maria whispered. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Could you hand me my cell phone?" Jeff motioned to his bag and Maria immediately began rummaging around for it. It gave Jeff a minute to think up a convincing story to tell Maria besides the truth. "I've seen doctors about it, but the pills they gave me just don't seem to work for it. Umaga said he had some sort of ancient Samoan herbal remedy for it."

"Really?" Maria said, finally finding the cell.

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind him coming by," Jeff said, suddenly worried, as the fight between Umaga and Maria flickered through his mind. Eric Bischoff, the former general manager of RAW, got revenge on Maria for testifying against him, by putting her in a match against Umaga as his last act on RAW. Umaga had been pretty brutal, first delivering a Wild Samoan drop and then two Samoan Wrecking Balls, before John Cena came out to make the save.

"Umaga?" Maria quirked an eyebrow, then smiled and giggled. "Umaga's just a big old teddy bear. He's a professional; he sold those moves in our match, while not putting in any actual force when he hit me. Believe me if he had, I would have ended up in a body cast. Oh, and it was so sweet, he called me after the match to make sure I was okay."

"Yeah...?" Jeff grinned and began dialing Umaga's number. "He's a good guy. Why is it the biggest scariest looking guys are always the nicest, while the pretty boys like Edge and Nitro are the biggest assholes?"

Maria shrugged. "One of those mysteries of life I guess."

"Maria, would you do me a really big favor?" Jeff asked, giving her puppy dog eyes. "Would you get me a glass of water?"

"Sure," she smiled and patted him on the knee, before getting up.

He smiled back as she went into the bathroom, turning serious again, as he pressed "call" on his cellphone and it began to ring.

"Umaga?" Jeff said when the Samoan word for "hello" came on the line.

"Yes?"

"Hey, man, um...I was wondering if you and Boogey got that anti-demon stuff ready..." the young Hardy asked. He had hesitated, not daring to grab onto the small glimmer of hope that there might be an end to the pain.

"Yes, we finish today," Umaga answered enthusiastically. "We come now."

"Thanks," Jeff rasped as some relief washed over him. He hung up the phone and shut his eyes until he heard Maria's footsteps.

"Still up for some water?" Maria asked softly.

Jeff opened his eyes and nodded. Maria helped him up into a sitting position so he could drink.

"I'm...I'm glad you came." Jeff said a little shyly, looking down at his cup.

"I'm glad I was here too, that muscle spasm looked really painful." She said softly. She reached up and gently stroked his multi-colored hair.

Jeff leaned forward a little and carefully rested his head on her chest. He closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. His abdomen still smarted from the echoes of the pain Chiron had unleashed on him, but Maria's gentle touch was quickly soothing it away.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maria hugged him closer. "You're trembling all over…"

"Oh, I think the pain from the muscle spasm just freaked all of my other nerves too," Jeff murmured.

"Oh…" Maria whispered. "You should lie down."

Jeff was about to protest, for he was enjoying using Maria's chest as a pillow. However, the protest died on his lips when lovely diva guided his head from her chest to her lap, and resumed stroking his hair.

"Feel better?" she asked sweetly.

Jeff tiredly smiled back. "Yeah, but it still hurts a little."

"Oh, poor baby…" Maria gently patted Jeff's stomach, however, it was still sensitive and he visibly winced at the touch.

The diva's brows knitted in concern when she saw the brief look of pain on his face. "I'd kiss it and make it all better, but that might hurt you more." She smiled. "So I'll just have to kiss something else."

Jeff opened his mouth to ask what she meant by that, but was interrupted when Maria answered his unspoken question, by kissing him fully on the lips.

_Bliss._

Jeff closed his eyes and propped himself up with one arm to deepen the kiss.

However, just as the young Hardy was starting to relax again, there was a loud knock at the door. Maria broke the kiss, leaving Jeff looking like a puppy who just had his favorite chew toy taken away from him.

After replacing her lap with a pillow under Jeff's head – much to the disappointment of Jeff Hardy- Maria got up and opened the door, coming nose to chest with the Undertaker.

Standing behind the "Deadman," were Umaga and the Boogeyman, carrying several bags and strange objects with them.

"Um…Hi…" Maria greeted the phenom nervously.

"Is Hardy here?" Taker asked coldly.

"Yes," Maria gulped and stepped aside so the three men could enter.

"Oh, hey guys," Jeff greeted them a little shakily, "I didn't expect you here so soon."

"I'm sure," The Undertaker said looking at Maria. "Even still, we want to talk to you alone."

Right…" Jeff nodded slowly, really not wanting Maria to go, but knew that it was necessary. Fortunately Maria took the hint.

"Okay, Jeff I'll see you tomorrow, maybe we could do breakfast or lunch," she said cheerfully, before exiting the room, and shutting the door behind her.

"And here we thought you were in pain..." Taker said dryly, turning back to Jeff.

"I was!" Jeff snapped, but then gulped as the Undertaker intensified his glare. "Maria was just... here when it happened."

"How much does she know?" Taker's voice suddenly took on an urgent tone.

"Nothing. I just said it was a muscle spasm," Jeff insisted, hoping to leave Maria out of this as much as possible. "She didn't even see the symbol."

"Good." Taker nodded, and turned to Umaga and Boogey. "You get started. I'll go find Kane."

Umaga began rifling through the bags they brought, pulling out various objects and plants. Boogey folded a familiar black mat on the floor. The mat was covered in and intricate array of symbols.

"Take off your shirt, we're going to paint on your back," Umaga ordered.

Jeff immediately did as he was told. He was surprised and little unnerved to see that Chiron's symbol had spread on his abdomen. "It's spreading..."

"Here, lie down." Umaga came over and motioned for Jeff to lie down on the mat. "Belly down."

Jeff lay face down. He glanced to his right, to see the Boogeyman pull out several Tupperware containers full of some sort of greenish-brown, rather disgusting mud-like substance. The young Hardy wrinkled his nose in disgust when the container was opened and he found the smell of the stuff far over shadowed the look of it.

"Oh great…" Jeff groaned when he saw Umaga pull out a brush and dip it into the substance. Even the Samoan cringed a little at the pungent smell.

"It won't smell when dry," Umaga assured him, before taking one last look at the insignia he would be drawing on Jeff's back.

"This will sting a bit," the Boogeyman sneered. "Due to the properties of the mixture."

"It's all right I'm used to it," Jeff grumbled. "Dare I ask what's in it?"

"Ground up livers of chickens and worm's eyes," Boogey answered with a slight snigger in his voice.

"Liar, worms don't eyes," Umaga snapped, which only made the Boogeyman cackle. "He's a strange one," Umaga whispered to Jeff, who nodded back, glancing warily at the Boogeyman.

"Well, let's get this over with," Jeff said with a resigned sigh. He rested his head on his arms as Umaga and Boogeyman began to paint.

It did sting a little, but no more than a hard slap on the back from his brother Matt. In fact, Jeff was so tired, he found himself dozing off while he lay there. When he woke up again, The Undertaker and Kane were back and Umaga and Boogey were doing some sort of weird dance, to the tune of a weirder song.

"Brace yourself," Taker stated as he and Kane kneeled down on either side of the mat.

"This is going to feel a little weird," Kane said raising his hands. "And you might pass out…"

"Yeah?" Jeff looked at him a little worried at first, but soon took the resigned face again. "Yeah, I knew this was going too easy…"

The Brothers of Destruction clapped their hands together simultaneously then slammed their hands down on the mat. The symbols underneath Jeff began to glow. He felt a strange tingling sensation in his fingers and toes, the same tingling you feel when you've sat on your leg for too long. It began to spread through his whole body, then everything went numb, and then there was only blackness.

000

**Author's Note:**

_Poor Jeff, hopefully Umaga's and Boogey's remedy will work. At least he got some lovin' from little Miss Maria. _

_Speaking of Maria, I'm curious to see what you think of my portrayal of her. In my mind I think she isn't as dumb as she displays herself to be on screen, as evidenced in how she acted during the trial of Eric Bischoff. Plus, any girl who gets out there and dances the crazy Jeff Hardy dance alongside Jeff Hardy, is okay in my book!_


	9. The Family

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Jeff yawned as he opened his eyes, and looked at the clock next to his bed. The red digits said eight o' clock, though he couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep. Slowly the memories of the previous night resurfaced. He frowned as he remembered the horrible torture Chiron had put him through, and when Umaga and the Boogeyman had painted that vile smelling stuff on his back. A the same time he distantly wondered what the new symbol on his back looked like.

The young Hardy winced as he slowly sat up, his abdominal muscles were still sore, but no worse than after a hard day at the gym. He stretched then combed his fingers through his hair hair, idly debating on whether to braid it or not and what color he should try today. His mind was doing everything it could to avoid thinking about the current situation, by thinking about things that used to be of great importance to him.

Even though Chiron did not invade his dreams again and he had slept easy the rest of the night, after passing out during the ritual, he felt strangely drained.

Jeff snapped out of his reverie when he heard activity coming from the bathroom. A few seconds later Matt emerged, pinning his wet hair back, wearing only track pants and a towel over his shoulders.

"Hey, good morning," the elder Hardy greeted his little brother and sat down on the bed next to him. "How are you doing? Sleep any better?"

"Yeah, pretty good," Jeff murmured. _After I passed out..._

"No dreams about Chiron?"

Jeff shook his head.

"Then Umaga and the Boogeyman's stuff must be working then." Matt smiled until he saw the continued sullen and tired expression on Jeff's face. "That's good, right?"

"Yeah." Jeff rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Matt; I'm just not myself today. I don't know, I just feel like a motorbike runin' on fumes, that just finally hit the wall."

Matt patted Jeff on the back, all the while trying to think up something to cheer his brother up. "Hey, since we've got a couple of free days, if you're up to it, how about you and me spending the day just getting lost in Dallas and doing random shit?"

Jeff smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Twenty minutes later the brothers were ready to head out, when there was a loud knock on their door. Matt opened the door to find the Undertaker standing there.

"Jeff," Taker said, pushing past Matt as if he were not even there, indicating the message was for Jeff and Jeff alone. "Pack your things up; we're going on a road trip."

"We...we are?" Jeff blinked, caught completely off guard.

"Yes, we need to be able to summon the Grim directly. And we need to go to a specific place to do that," Taker explained quickly, before turning, and heading out the door. "Meet me in the lobby in thirty minutes, and don't be late."

Jeff stood there open-mouthed for a moment. He slowly lowered his head. "Looks like, 'getting lost in Dallas' is out."

Matt looked away with an equally sullen face.

"I'd better get ready," Jeff murmured, putting his duffel bag on the bed, before going into the bathroom to collect his toothbrush and tooth paste and other toiletry items. He didn't even bother to wonder what Taker had in store for him, he knew better than to question what the Phenom was up to, even in his own mind.

After few moments, Matt came to the bathroom door. "Well hopefully Taker won't keep you too long, and you'll be back before I have to go with Smackdown to Mississippi." He was clearly doing his best to keep a smile plastered on his face, even though he shared his brother's disappointment at not being able to just go out and have some fun time.

"Who knows..." the younger Hardy said dully as he slipped past Matt into the main room and put his Ziploc bag of items into his duffel bag. He was far too tired and depressed to be optimistic.

Matt opened his mouth to say something, anything, to make his brother cheer up, but he just couldn't find the words. He hadn't seen his brother this down in a long time, and it frightened him, as he didn't want his little brother going down that spiral again.

The brothers remained in the awkward silence for a long time, while Jeff bustled about getting his things together, and Matt remained by the bathroom door debating on whether or not to offer some help.

By the time Matt found his voice again, Jeff was slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder and heading for the door.

"Want me to come with you?" Matt asked, his words taking on the double meaning of both accompanying Jeff down to the lobby and possibly on the road trip if Jeff really wanted him to go whether Taker liked it or not.

Jeff sighed and answered with equal ambiguity, "If you want to."

After a moment's pause, the two brothers exited the hotel room and headed down into the lobby. Upon entering the lobby, they found the Undertaker was not there yet, so they settled down on one of the cushioned benches and waited.

Uncomfortable silence was a rarity between the Hardy brothers, but it seemed to be cutting their throats today, leaving them with few words if any at all. In order to keep his mind off the situation at least for a little while, Matt allowed his mind to wonder. He began idly identifying the various breeds of dogs accompanying the various people around the lobby. One West Highland White terrier particularly reminded him of his own dog Lucas.

Matt's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly and saw Jeff was using his shoulder as a pillow. Jeff had not done that in years, at least not in public anyway.

The elder Hardy rested a hand on his little brother's head. "What's the matter, Jeff?"

"I don't know..." Jeff whispered. "I think I'm just demoralized. Last night Maria came over."

"Maria? What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing. We hung out for a bit and I was just starting to calm down and relax and have a little fun." Jeff smiled a little at thoughts of Maria, before frowning. "And then Chiron comes along and tortures me, and makes me feel like I've been impaled thought stomach with a spike. And then Taker and the guys show up and do their little ritual thing. Well let's just say it put a big damper on the evening for me and Maria."

"That sucks." Matt patted Jeff on the head. Just then his cell phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hey. Ashley," Matt answered with all the cheerfulness he could scrounge together. "Look, I can't talk at the moment, but..."

Matt paused when he got a rather odd request from his girlfriend. "Okay...I'll ask him."

Jeff lifted his head with some interest at the word "him".

"Um," Matt grinned looking very amused at the situation. "Ashley says hi, and says that Maria asked her if she could ask me to ask you, for your cell phone number."

"What?" Jeff looked genuinely surprised as he took the cell phone. "Hello? It's Jeff. Huh, I didn't know she wanted it...All right...It's 555-6426."

After Ashley took down the number and thanked Jeff the younger hardy handed the phone back to Matt.

"Ash, Unfortunately I gotta go. I'll talk to you later okay? Bye-bye, hon." Matt hung up the phone, and smiled at Jeff. "So you and Maria, huh? When did this all happen?"

Jeff shrugged. "I don't know, some time last night, I think it was about when we kissed the first time, and she slipped me some tongue."

"Did she now?" Matt grinned, his interest piqued.

Jeff shrugged again. "Yeah, one minute we were talking about my drawings, and the next we were lip-locked."

"Yeah? Anything else?" Matt wobbled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Nah, nothing that serious," Jeff shook his head. "Though she did give me a massage..." He trailed off.

"Nice..." Matt's grin widened and patted his brother on the back. "That's my baby brother, the heartbreak Hardy."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Matt, I'm not into the usual jokes today."

"Sorry..." Matt sighed. "I tried."

The elder Hardy put an arm around his little brother's shoulders. "So you think you might see her again?"

"Yeah, I hope so," Jeff leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. "I hope the incident didn't scare her off."

"If it had, I don't think she would have put so much effort into getting your phone number," Matt smirked.

Jeff's eyes widened a little. He let out an amused snort, and a small smile crept across his lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Just then an elevator across the lobby from them opened and the Undertaker stepped out. Both Hardys stood up as the Phenom approached. Taker's expression hardened when his eyes fell on Matt.

"I just need Jeff," the Phenom stated coldly.

Matt nodded, trying to remain casual under the Deadman's icy stare. "I know, I just came down to hang out until you came."

"Then let's go," Taker motioned for Jeff follow.

Jeff followed obediently, but so did Matt. In truth, with everything that had been going on the last few weeks the elder Hardy didn't know when he might see his brother again, so he wanted to hang around until the last possible second.

The Hardys followed the Undertaker outside the hotel and into the parking lot where his car was. Taker opened the back door and threw his bag inside on the seat. Jeff, not knowing what else to do, followed suit.

While Taker got into the driver's seat, Matt pulled Jeff into a quick hug.

"Call me along the way if you can," Matt murmured into Jeff's shoulder. "Stay safe, little bro'."

"I will," Jeff assured him, as he pulled away. "You have some fun with Ashley tonight, okay?"

Matt smiled. "Will do."

With that, Jeff opened the car door and got into the passenger's seat. The Undertaker said nothing about the little display of affection between the Hardys, instead choosing just to turn on the engine without a word.

Jeff gave a slight wave to Matt as Taker pulled out of the parking space. The younger Hardy did not take his eyes off his older brother until the Undertaker turned a corner and Matt was completely out of sight.

000

Traveling with the Undertaker was not as a bad as Jeff Hardy thought it would be. At first the silence between the two had been awkward. At least for Jeff it was, until he remembered that silence was all about who the Undertaker was, and as such Jeff was not obligated in the least to try and start a conversation. With that realization the silence became much more relaxed, and just well, silent.

Silent except for the radio. Jeff was very surprised, when instead of hearing the heavy sounds of Metallica blasting over the speakers after Taker insert the CD, he heard the bluesy tones of B.B. King and his guitar. The music was strangely soothing, and as Jeff was already exhausted from accumulated sleep deprivation, the stress of all that had been going on, the physical stamina he had to keep up for his job in the WWE, not to mention his depressive mood wasn't helping things at all, his eyelids started to droop.

Jeff didn't remember dozing off; he just became suddenly aware that someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes and found the source of the shaking was the Undertaker. The young Hardy made a quick glance at their surroundings and found they were parked at a gas station.

"If you need to go to the bathroom or anything, do it now. This is our last stop until we reach our destination," The Undertaker said, though his voice seemed considerably less cold than it was at the hotel. In fact his whole manner seemed more relaxed and less icy.

Jeff got out of the car and stretched, he'd slept in an awkward position, so it made his muscles extra stiff.

"Want anything from the mini-mart?" Jeff asked.

"Nah, I'll be in myself after I fill the tank."

Jeff nodded and headed into the mini-mart. After a trip to the bathroom, the young Hardy went about picking up some road trip essentials. Two corn dogs, Dasani water and of course a bag skittles.

Jeff spotted Taker talking with the man at the cash register - who reminded Jeff a lot of his dad - while he paid for the gas and his own snack selection. Dasani water, beef jerky, Doritos, and...snickers?

_Who would have thought...?_ Jeff chuckled to himself. He tried not to eaves drop on the conversation, but it was hard not to listen in.

"So who's the kid with you, Mark?" the cashier chuckled. "Sow a few wild oats somewhere?"

To Jeff's shock the Undertaker grinned and even chuckled a little bit along with the cashier. "Nah, he's one of my WWE co-workers."

"Oh, yeah? Which one? Not that guy who tried to steal the championship from you..."

"No, it's not." Taker growled at the memory of Edge.

"Oh good, I was afraid I was going to have to get out my shot gun."

The young Hardy nearly fell over when he saw the Undertaker laughing with the cashier. Jeff went back to studying the candy bars, when the two men turned to look at him.

"Wait a minute, is that the weird one with crazy hair who likes to jump off ladders?" The cashier studied Jeff a little more.

"Yup. That's Jeff Hardy."

"Ooh. Hey, could I get a couple of autographs, my two girls are absolutely in love with him." The man rolled his eyes.

"I think I can convince him. Hey, Hardy!"

Jeff nearly jumped when Taker called out his name. "Yeah?"

"Think you could autograph a couple of things for the daughters of my good friend here?" Taker motioned to the cashier.

"Sure!" Jeff came over to the counter. "Need a picture? I think I have a few in the..."

"No, no my kids gave me plenty of them, just in case Mark brings any of his WWE associates by one his way home."

"Murray..." Taker said in a darker tone, than he had been using. "Just give him the damn pictures."

"You know the next time I come around here again," Jeff chuckled, as he signed the pictures. "I promise I'll bring my brother Matt along so he can sign stuff too. Then your girls'll have the complete set."

"That'd be great; I know my girls would love it." The cashier took the now signed photographs back. "Thanks a lot. And the snacks are on me."

"Thanks!" Jeff grinned as Taker ushered him out of the mini-mart.

"Nice guy, you two friends?" Jeff asked getting into the car.

"Yeah," Taker answered shortly.

Jeff sighed, steeling himself to finally ask a question that had been bugging him all day. "Um...Taker where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's not far from here." Taker drove the car out of the parking lot and back onto the road.

"That's good," Jeff said, taking a sip from his water bottle.

The young Hardy thought about prying further, but then decided against it. The Undertaker was in a relatively good mood and Jeff thought it best to not break it by annoying him with questions.

"It's so green," Jeff murmured to himself, as he gazed out the car window.

"Not all of Texas is a desert."

Jeff was a little startled at the response, mostly because he hadn't expected answer. "Yeah? Sweet. You know it's kind of nice to go some place new, without my job or Chiron hanging over my head."

"Well, I had wanted to do this later, but with the incident last night, it's best we do it sooner, while we're still in Texas," Taker said, his voice even and its usual coldness almost completely absent.

"You know best," Jeff said, feeling a lot less irritated at having been dragged away from a day of possible fun with his brother. Quite the contrary, the new scenery of the road trip had already lifted his spirits considerably, at least for the moment.

After a half an hour Taker pulled off the main highway onto a dirt road that lead into a forested area. Jeff had jus broken into his pack of skittles, and was currently crunching on two green ones and three red ones.

"How can you eat that crap? It's almost pure sugar and food coloring." Taker glanced over at the skittle munching Hardy.

Jeff swallowed the skittles and grinned. "It's all about tasting the rainbow man."

Instead of casting an icy glare, the Undertaker just rolled his eyes. Even more surprisingly, a slightly amused smirk crossed his face. Jeff wondered what had put the Phenom in such a good mood that it made him seem almost like a normal human being.

The young Hardy soon discovered why when they pulled up to an impressive, rustic looking house, set on a beautiful ranch.

"Whose place is this?" Jeff raised an eyebrow. With the way the Undertaker had been so serious when he announced the road trip, saying that they needed to contact Grim directly, the young Hardy had expected them to drive to a graveyard or a cathedral.

"It's mine," Taker said, parking the car.

"Nice, um...no offense to your home or anything..." Jeff said picking his words carefully. "Why are we here?"

"So we can contact Grim directly," Taker answered simply.

"Oh, right..." Jeff decided for the sake of his health to just accept that answer. Taker's good mood could change on a dime.

Taker opened the door and the two walked into a lovely main room with a stone fireplace. The southwestern theme of the room was interrupted by toys scattered all over the place.

"Oh, Chasey, Chasey, Chasey," Taker shook his head and knelt down to pick up a toy.

As if on cue a small form appeared from around a corner. Dashing past Jeff, it proceeded to jump on the unsuspecting Undertaker's back. The Phenom lost his balance and fell over, with his attacker on top of him.

It took every ounce of self control Jeff had to not laugh, as the little girl sat up proudly on the Deadman's chest.

"I win! I pinned you, Daddy," the girl announced excitedly.

"You sure did, Chasey, one, two, three." Taker grinned at his five year old daughter.

"I get the big belt now!" She chirped, and getting off her dad, and running over to pick-up a toy version of her father's World Heavyweight Championship belt.

Even though Chasey held the belt over her head with both hands like John Cena, she stuck out her tongue just like her father did when he won a match.

"Okay, now that is cute," Jeff chuckled.

In the joy of seeing her dad, Chasey had not even noticed Jeff's presence until that moment. She suddenly became shy and dropped the belt to run over and partially hide herself behind her father's leg.

"Chasey, this is one of my friends from work. This is Jeff Hardy." At his daughter's confused expression Taker elaborated, "The guy with the funny hair, who jumps off ladders."

Instantly an expression of recognition, surprise, and delight crossed the little girl's face. "You jumped off the ladder at 'Mania."

"Yeah," Jeff chuckled. "Ladders and I make a pretty good team."

"Chasey, Where's your momma?" Taker finally got to his feet and patted his daughter on the head.

"In the bathroom with Gracie," the little girl replied.

"Not anymore," The Undertaker's wife, Sara, entered the room carrying their younger daughter, Gracie.

"Good to see you again, darlin'." Taker went up and kissed his wife on the lips and took Gracie from her arms. "Sara, I'm sure you know Jeff Hardy."

"Hi," Jeff smiled, shaking hands with the former WWE diva.

"Oh, I know you," Sara smiled back. "You're the guy who jumps off ladders and drop-kicked my husband into a puddle of vomit back in 2002."

Jeff immediately blushed bright red.

"Oh yeah..." Taker glared at the young Hardy. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"I swear I've grown up a bit since then," Jeff held up his hands defensively. "I was kind of in a bad place in general back in those days. I'm sure you've all heard about my...um...problems."

"Well, as long you don't display those said problems in front of my kids, you're welcome here," Sara said.

"You can be sure I won't." Jeff nodded.

"And don't worry, I promise my husband won't tombstone you anywhere in or around this house," Sara assured Jeff, much to the young Hardy's relief.

Taker snapped his fingers in mock disappointment. "She's got me on a short leash."

Jeff could not suppress a chuckle, and was surprised to find Taker and Sara chuckling along with him.

"All right, enough of the finer things," Taker said, handing Gracie back over to Sara. "Down to business, come on, Jeff."

"Can I come too?" Chasey tugged on her father's pant leg.

"Afraid not, baby doll, this is man to man talk." Taker patted her head, and grinned. "When I'm done you can tell me about everything you've been doing."

"Okay!" Chasey chirped and went back to playing with her toys.

"You still want to do a barbeque tonight?" Sara asked.

Taker nodded. "Yeah, this shouldn't take too long." He motioned for Jeff to follow

Jeff obediently followed Taker down a short hallway that lead into a study room. The room was filled with books, but more noticeably, on the walls hung the costumes representing the various incarnations the Undertaker had taken in the WWE.

While Jeff looked curiously at the different costumes, Taker pulled a large black box down off the mantle piece over the fireplace. He opened the box to reveal a long staff with a large scythe on the end.

"Hey, old friend." Taker pulled the scythe out. "Haven't had to use you in real life for a while."

"Wow, they still make those things?" Jeff asked, gazing in astonishment at the weapon.

"Only for reapers," Taker answered as he tapped the wall of the fireplace with the tip of the scythe three times.

Jeff's eyes widened in amazement as the fireplace opened forward like a door to reveal a spiraling staircase downwards.

"Now I'm impressed..." the younger Hardy murmured.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Taker said, heading down the stairs, with Jeff following automatically.

At the bottom of the stairs, The Undertaker hit the ground twice with the bottom of the staff. The floor lit up, soft white light illuminating the symbols etched into it. The light revealed a large stone cavern.

Taker walked out and stopped just before the middle of the room and touched the scythe to the center symbol. The floor opened up to reveal a square pool of clear blue water.

Jeff looked around the place a little apprehensively. "So this is where we're going to talk to Grim?"

"Yes."

"What do I need to do?"

"Get in the water."

Jeff was a little taken aback by that request. "May I ask why?"

"Water. Essential to sustaining life, yet has the power to take it away," Taker said. "It's the greatest link between earth and the afterlife."

"Okay..." the young Hardy said slowly, still uncomfortable with the idea."So what's going to happen when I get in the water?"

"It will allow a mortal to travel to limbo, where you can talk to Grim," Taker stated.

"You're coming with me right?" Jeff looked at Taker nervously.

"Of course," Taker snapped. "Like I would let you go alone and embarrass me in front of my boss."

It took Jeff a few moments to realize Taker was trying to be funny. Jeff grinned and began untying his shoes. He ended up stripping down to his pants, and no further. He didn't exactly feel comfortable with the idea of stripping down to his underwear in front of Taker.

Jeff looked over and saw Taker had not removed any of his clothing. The young Hardy found it odd that the Deadman wanted to jump into the water with all his clothes on, but then who was Jeff to question the Phenom.

Jeff strode over to the pool and took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing..."

He jumped in. However Jeff had not anticipated how cold the water would be. The shock almost knocked him out. It felt like a thousand knives stabbing him all over. It was the kind paralyzingly cold water that made your ankles hurt if you stood in it for only two minutes.

Automatically he began to swim back up toward the surface, only to find the surface was no longer there. He opened his eyes only to find he was staring at a stone roof instead of the open surface and fresh air. He frantically looked around for another way out, but quickly discovered he seemed to be encased in an underwater cavern and his air was running out.

His lungs were starting to burn from the need for fresh air. He had to find a way out and fast. Jeff glanced down below him and to his shock he saw rippling water at the bottom as if it were the surface. Had he gotten turned around when he jumped in?

The adrenaline pumping through his body from his lungs screaming for air gave him the strength to swim toward the rippling water, despite the water paralyzing his muscles with cold. Finally he breached the floor of rippling water, only to fall onto a very hard surface. However, there was one good point, he was out of the water and he could breathe.

After his breathing slowed down to a semi-normal rate, he finally began to get to his feet. Which turned out to be easier said than done. His limbs shook dangerously, from the cold and fatigue. He almost fell over when a strong hand caught his arm and pulled him completely to his feet. It was the Undertaker.

Jeff briefly looked at his surroundings. He was in a room that seemed to be made entirely of smooth black marble. Columns grew out of the floor and arched to hold up a ceiling of rippling water. The room was lit by candles of blue flame; however, there was complete darkness behind the columns and behind where he and Taker stood.

The Undertaker looked different. He was no longer wearing his black vest and jeans and the Jack Daniels bandana. Instead, he had on the western hat and the trench coat from his Phenom look, but underneath the coat he wore his "Lord of Darkness" outfit. Though thing that really struck Jeff as strange was the fact that the Undertaker was completely dry, instead of drenched and chilled to the bone like the young Hardy was.

"What the hell was that?" Jeff asked between pants.

"I'll tell you later." Taker answered shortly, looking straight ahead at a figure, who was sitting in a stone chair in between the candles.

Jeff followed Taker's gaze, and stopped breathing for a few seconds.

In front of them was the Grim Reaper.

000

_**Author's Note:**_

_Ah, the plot thickens! Jeff is standing before the Grim Reaper and he learn more about Chiron and the curse upon him, that is if Jeff doesn't die hypothermia first..._


	10. The Grim

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Jeff followed Taker's gaze, and stopped breathing for a few seconds.

In front of them was the Grim reaper.

Though he was already freezing Jeff Hardy felt his blood run even colder as he stared at death itself. He took an unconscious step back as The Grim rose from his seat. The Grim seemed to glide more than walk toward them, the train of his black robes billowing elegantly behind him.

Every instinct in Jeff's body was telling him to bolt; in fact, his body already seemed to be trying to do that, as his feet kept unconsciously backing away. Suddenly, the Undertaker put an arm around Jeff's waist to stop his escape.

"Don't worry Grim's not here to take your soul," Taker said quietly.

Jeff gulped and nodded, not taking his eyes off the Grim. The lord of death stared down at the young Hardy even though there was no face under the cloak's hood. A hand reached out from under the dark robe and traced the symbol on Jeff's abdomen. It was not a normal hand; it was only made of bones, with bluish translucent skin over it.

As soon as the Grim's finger touched Jeff stomach, the young Hardy began shivering uncontrollably. Taker's arm around his waist was the only thing keeping Jeff on his feet. He suddenly found he couldn't breathe right, it was worse than being under the water; his lungs seemed to freeze in mid breath. At this, the Grim pulled his hand away, leaving Jeff to gasp for air as his lungs came back to life.

"It is the symbol of Chiron, but it alone is not enough evidence to convince the jury of angels and demons allow punishment to Chiron for a crime he has not committed yet." The Grim spoke, its voice strange like a man and a woman speaking together. "It is how we keep the peace here between angels and demons, you know that."

"What more evidence do you need?" The Undertaker asked, his voice still calm, but frustration was evident in it.

"I think considering it is Chiron, who has carried out his duties as a layer keeper well and has made no prior transgressions," Grim said gravely. "I think it would take the testimony of another layer keeper for me act on Chiron before he does what you claim he will."

"Yeah," Taker growled through his teeth as his anger and frustration threatened to spill out.

Jeff closed his eyes, as yet another glimmer of hope that this nightmare with Chiron might be over died in the darkness.

"Grim, when Chiron does this," Taker began once he had his anger under control again. "What is the window in which they will come for Jeff?"

"Anytime between the halves of the waning moons," Grim stated.

"So anytime between the 8th and the 22nd of this month right?" Taker asked and Grim nodded.

"At least that gives me something to work with," Taker murmured.

The Undertaker's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a dull thump. He looked down to see Jeff collapsed on the floor.

"He's reached his limit," Taker grumbled, gathering Jeff into his arms. "Better get him back up there before hypothermia sets in to much." He lifted Jeff up and pushed him through the watery ceiling, before turning back to Grim.

"If Chiron does indeed decide to enter the Earth realm." Grim said. "I am glad you will be there to stop him."

Taker nodded.

000

Matt Hardy found himself in a field of thorn bushes on the bank of a river of boiling blood. Despite the heat, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he realized this place matched the description of Jeff's dreams. The seventh layer of hell.

He just stood there frozen to the spot, as his mind kept denying he was even there. Suddenly someone grabbed his arm. He spun and came face to face with Jeff.

"Come on Matt we have to get out of here!" Jeff tugged on his arm and started pulling him in the direction of a large stone structure.

"Jeff how did I get here?" Matt called after him.

"I don't know, but we have to get you out of here before he comes!" Jeff shouted, quickening his pace.

"Who?" the elder Hardy gulped.

"Chiron! I think he's busy with another soul right now, but he could come at any moment!" the younger Hardy tugged on his brother's arm more, urging him to move faster.

They came to a section of the river that had a trail of stones rising just above the water. Jeff pushed Matt forward so he could cross first. The elder Hardy gingerly leaped from stone to stone. He soon saw why Jeff had chosen this place, it was the only place to cross the river, and there was a clear path through the field of thorn bushes on the other side.

Matt leaped off the last stone and on to the riverbank with ease, and then turned to watch Jeff finish his trek. For a moment it looked like everything would all right, when suddenly, just as Jeff reached the last stone, a grisly hand lashed out of the water and grabbed Jeff's ankle, pulling him halfway into the bloody water.

"Matt! Help me!" Jeff screamed reaching out his hand.

Matt lunged to grab Jeff's hand, but more thorny branches burst out of the bank under Matt, binding him to the ground just out of reach of his little brother. Jeff frantically grabbed at the bank to prevent himself from being pulled in completely, but the sand provided him no leverage. Matt reached out his hand as far as he could, as did Jeff. Their fingertips touched for only a moment, before more hands appeared out of the water and dragged Jeff into the waters of Phlegeon.

Matt lay there opened mouthed, his hand still outstretched now to empty space. He barely noticed when the branches unraveled around him and sank below the sand

"Jeff..." Matt whispered to no one, as he slowly lowered his empty hand.

Then from out of the depths, in the same spot Jeff had been dragged under, Chiron rose out of the waters.

"Matthew Moore Hardy," Chiron spoke with extra cold and veracity in his voice. "Welcome to Hell."

000

Matt sat bolt upright in his bed. Sweat now formed a thin sheen on his skin, and heart was banging against his chest like a jackhammer.

He rested his head in his hands, waiting for his body to finally settle down from panic mode. He shivered as he remembered Jeff being dragged into the river of blood and he, Matt, was helpless to save him. That fact haunted him more than anything else the nightmare had shown him.

Matt shakily got out of bed and looked through his bag for his cell phone. He dialed Jeff's number and prayed his little brother would pick up. Now more than ever he wished that Jeff hadn't gone off on the "road trip" with the Undertaker, he wished Jeff was still his roommate so he could just look over to the other bed to see if his little brother was okay.

000

Jeff awoke to the sound of his brother's cell phone theme music sounding off. He blinked drowsily a couple of times before rolling over to the side of the bed he was lying on in the direction of the sound. He leaned over the side of the bed and spotted his cell phone on top of his bag.

"Hello?" Jeff answered groggily.

"Jeff? You okay?" came Matt's tired, but concerned voice over the phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jeff yawned his answer. "You okay?"

Matt was about to tell Jeff about his dream, but then decided against it at the tiredness in Jeff's voice. His little brother needed all the rest he could get. "Yeah, I'm fine. You sound like you could use some more sleep. I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Kay, see you later man," Jeff murmured and hung up, before rolling over and closing his eyes.

Ten seconds later Jeff's eyes snapped open as all of the memories of what had happened before he passed out flashed in his mind. He sat bolt upright and discovered he was in a room he had never seen before. However, it bore a comforting resemblance to the rest of the Undertaker's house.

His gaze then shifted to the spires that looked like torches positioned at each corner of his bed and though they emitted a soft green light, instead of fire. However, the heat seemed come from the bed directly rather than the torches. It was a comfortable warmth though.

In fact, the only thing that felt uncomfortable about the situation was the fact that under the covers of the bed he was completely naked. Usually he only slept in the buff, during a hot North Carolina night at home, or if he was sharing the company of a lady in bed. However, he was in neither of those circumstances at the moment, so waking up naked in an unfamiliar bed was a little disconcerting to say the least.

He was about to grab some clothes from his duffel bag when the door opened, and the Undertaker's wife, Sara, came in.

"Mornin' sleepyhead." Sara greeted him cheerfully. "Just came in to check on you."

"Yeah?" Jeff blushed and pulled the covers up to just below his chest.

Sara chuckled as she came over and put a hand on his forehead. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Normal temperature."

She pressed two fingers to Jeff's throat and looked at her watch. After about a minute of uncomfortable silence - uncomfortable at least for Jeff - she finally spoke again. "Normal pulse and normal skin tone and no shivering. Good, no more hypothermia."

"Hypothermia?" Jeff stared at her in shock. "When did I get hypothermia?" Then he remembered the cold water. "Oh yeah..."

"Well, now that you're back to normal, we won't be needing these anymore," Sara said gathering up the torches. As she touched them, they instantly went out.

"What are those things?" Jeff quirked an eyebrow at the torches.

"A reaper's method of treating hypothermia without a trip to the emergency room." Sara answered, picking up the last torch.

Jeff's eyes widened a little. "You mean you've had other people go into that pool thing?"

"Yeah, it's the only way a living soul can go to a section of the after life without causing too much trauma to either the soul or the body." Sara explained as best she could. "See because it's in water, your soul and your body aren't separated by a solid barrier, so they can get back to each other easily, so there is no trauma. I don't know all of the mechanics of it, so you'll have to ask Mark."

"Nah, I think I get it..." Jeff rested his head in his hands. It had started hurting all of a sudden. "My head's going to explode as it is."

"That's no good," Sara furrowed her eyebrows in concern as she put the torches away in a closet. "Well, we got Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, what's your pleasure?"

Jeff looked up from his hands, "Wow...that's quite a selection..."

"Yeah, see I like Ibuprofen or Aleve," Sara explained matter of factly. "Mark likes Aspirin, but Kane's more of a Tylenol guy and we keep the Advil around just in case."

Jeff nodded. "Aspirin please."

Sara nodded back and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Jeff let out a large sigh, suddenly feeling tired. He wanted to rest his throbbing head back down on the pillow and sleep it off some more, but it was time for getting up and discussing with the Undertaker what their next step was. Since they weren't going to get any help from Grim, their situation had become increasingly dire.

Jeff signed again before reaching for his bag and pulling out his clothes. He had just slipped on his pants when he caught sight of a reflection of his back in the mirror on the wall next to his bed. For the first time he saw the result of Umaga and the Boogeyman's handiwork. And intricate pattern of dark brown lines, circles and cross-hatching, covered his back from the nape of his neck, almost to his tailbone.

"Hey, Umaga did a good job," Sara suddenly back into the room, startling Jeff.

"Here you go, one glass of water and two tablets of aspirin," Sara non-chalantly handed the two items to the half-naked Hardy. "When you're ready come on downstairs and I'll make you some breakfast."

Jeff nodded as Sara exited the room again. He threw on a Team-extreme jersey and tied his hair back into a bun, before exiting the room to look for the stairs.

"Hi, Mr. Jeff!" Chasey greeted him in the hallway.

"Hi, Chasey," Jeff waved back. "Hey could you show me where the kitchen is?"

"Yeah!" Chasey chirped excitedly, heading for the nearest stairway. "Follow me!"

Jeff chuckled as he followed the little girl down stairs and into the kitchen. Sara was cooking some eggs, while Gracie sat in her high chair watching her, in that curious, almost intense way toddlers do. Chasey crawled into a chair where there was already a place setting with "My Little Pony" themed dishware.

"So what'll you have for breakfast Jeff?" Sara finished with the eggs and then spooned some of them on to Chasey's plate, then Gracie's, while Chasey reached for some toast.

"Oh, I can cook something for myself," Jeff offered seeing Sara busily getting breakfast together for the two girls.

"All right, the fridge is all yours," Sara motioned to the black refrigerator.

"Thanks," Jeff perused the shelves of food. He pulled out three eggs and two slices of bacon.

In a few minutes both the eggs and bacon, were sizzling in the pan. He liked to cook them together so the flavors would mix.

"Mommy, when's daddy getting up?" Chasey asked after swallowing the last of her eggs.

"Let him sleep, hon,"

"But he's sleeping so long…" Chasey pouted

"Well he hasn't had much of it lately, sweetie." Sara was busy trying to keep Gracie from eating her eggs with her hands.

As if on cue, Jeff yawned as he walked over to the table with his plate of eggs and bacon. "I know how he feels."

Sara studied Jeff for a moment while he ate. It was the slow kind of absent way of someone who was deeply troubled.

"You know on second thought," Sara smiled a little mischievously at Chasey. "Why don't you go wake up your father after all?"

Chasey giggled and grinned from ear to ear before hopping off her chair and skipping out of the kitchen to go and wake the deadman.

Now that Chasey was out of the room, and little Gracie was too young to really comprehend what they were saying, Sara decided to pry a little bit.

"What's gnawing on you Jeff?" Sarah asked gently.

"Oh, I'm just a really tired, that's all," Jeff slowly took a bite of his bacon, his eyes distant and pensive.

Sara frowned a little. "Understandable considering what's been going on, but I'm really offering you a chance to bitch and moan about it to someone who knows what's going on and is willing to listen."

Jeff smiled tiredly. "I don't know…I guess I'm just kind of scared about what's going to happen. I've been afraid to go to sleep at night because of the dreams, I'm scared of looking over my shoulder and seeing a demon behind me, I'm scared they're going to catch me, and I'll have my body taken over by some sort of evil spirit."

Even though Sara was helping Gracie eat her breakfast, Jeff could still tell she was listening intently to what he said. How mothers could multi-task like that was absolutely amazing to him. Even more so with the added fact that she was only a month older than he was.

The young Hardy's expression faded into a worried frown. "And I'm really scared that Matt might be dragged in to this whole thing. Ever since I woke up today, I've just had this bad feeling that he's not okay. It's always at the back of my mind."

"That's a lot of weight to be carrying on your shoulders." Sara smiled and patted the back of his hand. "But that doesn't mean you're going to bear it alone. I know Mark can be pretty abrasive and standoffish to people outside of the immediate circle of family and friends, but I know him and his sense of duty and honor. He'll see you through this. He has quite a bit of respect for you, you know."

"Yeah?" Jeff's eyes widens a little in surprise, until he remembered the end of the ladder match he had with the Undertaker back in 2002. At the end of the match, the Undertaker had raised Jeff's arm as a mark of respect to Jeff's strength of fighting spirit and tenacity, for lasting so long in the match.

"Yeah. I don't think you're quite at "Mark" status yet," Sara said thoughtfully, and then shrugged. "But he holds you in a higher regard than the average co-worker."

"What do you mean "Mark" status?" Jeff quirked and eyebrow.

"Calling 'The Undertaker' by his real name Mark is a privilege reserved for the family and friends of the family that Mark has deemed worthy of being at "Mark" status."

"Oh…" Jeff nodded, still looking confused. "How do I know when I'm at "Mark" status?"

Sara chuckled. "Say Mark in front of him and see if he gives you a death glare or not."

"Nah, I don't want to take a chance at pissing off the only guy who can protect me," Jeff grinned.

They both laughed until they heard heavy footsteps coming toward the kitchen. A few seconds later, the object of their conversation appeared in the doorway. Chasey was hanging off of her father, her little arms, and legs around his neck and chest.

"Ah, my Deadman has risen." Sara got up from her seat and went over to give her husband a light kiss on the lips.

"Sara, there's something attached to my back," Taker spoke in mock serious tones as he motioned to Chasey on his back. "I think it's some sort of growth. Quick get the giant spatula and get it off."

Chasey giggled and Sara laughed. The young Hardy took it as a cue that it was one of the rare moments that it was okay to laugh at the Undertaker. However, in the interest of safety, Jeff decided to keep the laugh to a small chuckle…

000

Matt Hardy stood in front of the door, behind which the Brother's of destruction had their lair. However, at this moment there was only one brother in there. Kane. Matt would have preferred to speak to the Undertaker, but he had taken off somewhere dragging Jeff along with him. That left Kane the only one around who knew what was going on and could help.

Matt steeled himself and knocked loudly on the door.

Kane opened the door and glared down at Matt. "Oh, it's you…What do you want Hardy?"

Matt was quickly losing his nerve and composure under the gaze of the Big Red Machine. "I, Uh…"

Kane growled, he already had a low patience level, and with the other party being Matt Hardy, he was getting annoyed very quickly. "If you don't have anything to say...don't come here!"

Kane was about to slam the door in the elder Hardy's face, when Matt blurted out, "I've been having dreams about Chiron and the Seventh layer of hell!"

There was a long pause while Kane's brow quirked up about a centimeter. He looked left and right down the hallways, then grabbed the front of Matt's shirt and jerked him into the room, slamming the door behind them. When Kane let go of his Shirt Matt was so off balance he fell right on his rear end on the ground with a dull thud.

Kane sat down on the bed next to Matt and fold his arms impatiently. "All right, what happened in the dream?"

"Uh, I was…" Matt began, still a little shaken from being yanked into the room and thrown on the floor by Kane. "I woke up in this place, it was a bank of a river a red river, and there were fields of thorn bushes all over the place. I remember it from when Jeff was telling me about it. I was just standing there trying to figure out how to get out of there when Jeff appeared."

Matt paused and gulped, looking nervously, but intently at the Big Red Machine, who was staring with even more intensity back at him. The elder Hardy wondered if Kane was going to believe him, or throw him right back out of the room.

Kane nodded, and rested his hand on his fist. "Go on."

Matt took a deep breath and continued a little calmer now. "Jeff said he knew how to get out of there, so I followed him we came to a point in the river where we could cross. I crossed first and he followed, but before he could get to the other side, these horrible hands came up and grabbed him and started pulling him in." The calm in Matt voice was quickly changing into distress as he recalled every detail of the dream. "I tried to grab him and pull him out, but the thorns held me back. He's was pulled under and there was nothing I could do to help him. He was pulled into the river."

Matt stared at the ground, his eyes wide with terror as the scene replayed over and over again in his mind.

Kane grumbled and lightly slapped the elder Hardy on the side of the head to knock him out of his terrified stupor. "And then what happened?"

Matt swallowed hard. "And then, Chiron rose out of the water, and he said 'Matthew Moore Hardy, welcome to Hell.' And then I woke up. What does it mean?"

Kane scratched his chin in, looking in deep thought. "Most likely since that protection seal is now on Jeff, Chiron is now trying to channel the dreams into you..."

"But why? How can he do that?" Matt stared at Kane in disbelief. Was he, Matt Hardy, now the target of this demon?

"You two are complete blood brothers, and as such you share the same core soul, and because of this Chiron can channel into you as well as Jeff." Kane explained as best he could.

"But, why?" Matt murmured.

Kane got up and began to pace pensively around the room. "I'm not sure, maybe so he can still torture Jeff indirectly."

"Bastard…" Matt growled, bunching up the bed sheets in his hands.

Kane stopped pacing and folded his arms across his chest before glaring at Matt, though there was not the usual cold rage in it. "Knowing Jeff, if he found out Chiron was torturing you in the nightmares; he'll want to remove the protection symbol from himself, in order to protect you."

The Big Red Machine turned his eyes to the floor and growled. "Either way Chiron wins."

"There's got to be some way to beat him!" Matt snapped, standing up.

"There is, you must bear the nightmares alone and make sure Jeff doesn't find out about them." Kane stated, as firm an ultimatum as it could be. "Chiron won't be expecting you to sacrifice yourself."

Matt nodded, a look of determination crossing his features. "So far in this whole ordeal I've been useless to Jeff, now I can finally do something to protect him."

Surprisingly a small smirk of acknowledgement crossed Kane's face. "Good luck with that."

Matt smiled a bit back. "Thanks."

If someone walked in at just that moment, they would have to pinch themselves to make sure they were not dreaming. No one would ever believe the sight of Kane and Matt Hardy a small moment of mutual respect for one another.

Suddenly Kane rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh god, did we just have a moment?"

"Uh...I think so..." Matt shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm going soft..." Kane muttered. "I think you should get the hell out of my room right now."

"Yeah…Good idea." Matt hurried to the door, before he got painfully kicked out by the Big Red Machine.

000

_**Author's Note:**_

_Poor Matt is now getting the dreams, and Chiron is intending to make Matt's life/sleep a living hell until he gets Jeff to remove the protection symbol. And what will come when Jeff finds out?_

_**Fic Recommendations:**_

_Go check our story "__**A World of Darkness" **__it's a really good story so far, and one of her first and she could really use some constructive reviews, so please check out the fic and review!_

_Since I can't seem to post links in the fic, you can find the story in my favorites section._


	11. The Date

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

"And that's what you are going to tell everyone, got it?" The words of the Undertaker echoed in Jeff's mind, as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel that the RAW roster was staying in for the night. Jeff had stayed two nights in the Callaway household, before he and Taker had to get to the airport for their respective flights. Jeff to Los Angeles where RAW was putting on its show, while the Undertaker went to Florida for the _Smackdown!_ show.

"Got it," Jeff murmured the answer he had given Taker when they last talked. Even though he had discovered a more human side to the Undertaker, the side of Mark Callaway, the family man, there was still one constant throughout. Whatever the Undertaker says goes. And that was that.

Jeff sighed as he parked and walked into the lobby to check in and get his room assignment. For once he prayed he did not get put with Carlito. Recently, the Caribbean Cool and Torrie Wilson were having a tiff over rumors that Torrie was engaging in a liaison with the champ John Cena. With everything else going on, the last place Jeff wanted to be was in the middle of that domestic dispute.

The young Hardy checked in and found to his surprise and some relief that his new roommate was Umaga. However, after a few seconds thought though, Jeff realized it was not a surprise at all. No doubt the Samoan bulldozer and The Undertaker had arranged it that way; after all, Umaga was the only other person on the RAW roster who fully knew what was going on.

A trip up the elevator later and Jeff was at the door to the hotel room. He had keys to the room, but he felt it would be more polite to announce his arrival to his roommate before barging in. While waiting for a response from inside, Jeff idly wondered if Umaga snored loudly. Jeff shrugged to himself, even if he did, that's what ear plugs were for.

"Ah, Jeff Hardy," Umaga opened the door and greeted him cheerfully, before frowning. "You have no key?"

"Oh yeah, I do. I just thought I would knock, as I felt weird just barging in." Jeff said, absently rubbing the back of his head, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. He didn't know why, after all, less than a week ago he had allowed Umaga to put a tattoo on his back without a second thought. On the other hand the prospect of sharing a room with someone he barely knew personally, and had been engaged with in a vicious rivalry that had ended up with Jeff being flatten into the ground on two occasions, was just a tad unnerving.

Umaga apparently sensed the young Hardy's awkwardness, for with out another word he ushered Jeff into the room. The Samoan bulldozer had already claimed the bed closest to the window; the Samoan flag and the quilt were indications of that.

"You like to rest, talk, or watch TV?" Umaga asked.

"Nah, I think I'm going to head down stairs and get something to eat," Jeff tossed his bag on to the unoccupied bed. "Then maybe take a nice long nap before RAW tonight. I've got a match with Edge, so I want to be sure to be awake. That sneaky little shit always has something up his sleeve."

Umaga chuckled and nodded. "Yes, he is like Maui, the trickster god. Except he was more heroic, he use his talent to help others, Edge use for himself."

"Yeah, he spends more time trying to get out of a fight than in one," Jeff frowned. "It sucks really; he used to be real fighter, hell we used to be friends. Then he turned into a jerk one day, and has gotten worse ever since."

Umaga nodded.

Suddenly Jeff's cellphone rang. He answered and was surprised to here Maria's voice on the other line.

"Hey, Jeff!" Maria greeted him cheerfully. "Are you back, yet?"

Jeff smiled a little at hearing the sweet voice. "Yeah, I just got to the hotel, what's up?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if this number Ashley gave me worked." She giggled. "And I wanted to know if…um…you would like to join me for lunch today if you haven't already eaten."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Jeff smile grew wider. "Where do you want to meet?"

"The café downstairs, but we can go some place else after we meet up," Maria answered.

"Sounds good. I'll be there. Bye." Jeff hung up the phone, but as soon as he did he realized he was about to blow off Umaga. Jeff was used to rooming with Carlito or Matt which usually had the agreement that roommates could come and go as they pleased, no questions asked. However, he had made no such agreement with Umaga.

Jeff shifted uncomfortably. "Um, Umaga. My friend, Maria, just called and she wanted to know if I could come…"

"Go, woman company good for you," Umaga said with the same authority as a parent instructing their child to eat all of their peas.

Jeff chuckled. "Thanks."

000

The Undertaker groaned when he walked through the hotel room door and spotted his brother Kane sitting on the bed with a look on his face that said something was wrong.

"All right what's going on?" Taker decided it was best to just get right to the point and get it over with.

"Chiron has been sending nightmares to Matt Hardy," Kane answered bluntly.

The Undertaker growled through his teeth. The situation had just gotten more complicated. "Were there any symbols on his body?"

"No, I don't think so," Kane shook his head.

"What do you mean you don't _think_ so? Didn't you check?"

"No!" Kane snapped. "The situation was awkward enough."

Taker pinched the bridge if his nose and silently asked Grim for patience with his little brother. "That's kind of important, Kane. Did you at least ask him if he came in contact with Chiron's blood?"

Kane looked away, embarrassed that he had forgotten that question. "No."

Taker swallowed a growl. "All right, I'll ask him myself. What's his number?"

"Who's number?" Kane quirked an eyebrow

"Matt's number," Taker growled, his last layer of patience fading rapidly.

"How the hell should I know?"

"Didn't you get it from him?"

"No."

The Undertaker began to shake slightly from suppressing the great urge to smack his little brother upside the head.

000

Jeff smiled when he spotted the lovely Maria standing just outside the hotel café. He was pleasantly surprised by her outfit. Most of the divas wore clothes that were just as flashy and trendy as their ring attire; Maria however just wore a plain sea green t-shirt with the words "Café Mommas" on the front, and some baggy jeans.

She turned around and spotted him, a smile lighting up her face. "Hey there!" She waved.

He smiled and waved a little back as he approached. "Hey, you look nice."

Maria blushed a little, her cheeks turning a light pink. "Thanks, you look pretty good yourself. How was your trip?"

Jeff shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. "Good, Taker and I did some training together. I think he has a mind to put the Hardys and the Brother's of destruction in a match together." He repeated back the words the Undertaker had told him to say.

Maria grinned. "That will be an awesome match to watch! Do you think it will be for the Great American Bash?"

"I hope so," Jeff grinned back. "That match deserves a big stage."

Suddenly Jeff's cell phone rang. He picked it up and was surprised to find The Undertaker on the other side.

"What's up?" Jeff asked nervously, fearing bad news.

"What's your brother's number?" Taker asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Your brother's cell phone number, what is it?" The Phenom snapped, the impatience clear in his voice. "I need to know it in case something happens to you and we need to contact him."

"Right," Jeff obediently listed off the number, and the Undertaker hung up without so much as a goodbye.

"Nice guy," Jeff chuckled, flipping the cell phone closed, before turning back to Maria. "So where shall we eat?"

"I feel like something light, so how about the sushi place over there?" Maria pointed to a building across the street.

"Sushi it is!"

000

"You want me to do what?!" Matt Hardy blurted out in utter shock.

"I said strip, Hardy Boy! Now!" the Undertaker snapped, his patience was on its last tether. One more bit of stalling on Matt Hardy's part and his clothes would be torn from his body.

"Can I at least know what this is for?" Matt sputtered, still stunned.

Taker snarled and looked ready to attack, meanwhile Kane was sitting in the background, grinning and trying not to laugh. However, the Big Red Machine managed to swallow his laughter and get back to business. "We need to see if Chiron has marked you with any symbols."

"Oh…All right," Matt calmed considerably, after hearing this had something to do with the Chiron incident. He wasted no more time and stripped down to his boxers, hoping in his mind that Taker would not ask him to go further.

After a very thorough examination which included examining Matt's scalp as if he had nits, the elder Hardy was free of demonic marks.

"You're clean."

"Good," Matt breathed in relief and began quickly putting his clothes back on. "But if I'm not marked, why am I getting all those nightmares?"

"To make you suffer so much that you'll get Jeff to remove the protection symbol," Taker said simply.

"Oh, right…" Matt murmured, but a look of determination crossed his face again. "Well, I'm not giving up. I'd rather deal them, no matter how bad they get than let Jeff have to again." Even still a shudder ran through his body as he remembered the dreams.

"Good. Keep it that way," Taker nodded.

"I will." Matt nodded back. "Oh, mind if I ask what you and Jeff were up to on the road trip?"

Taker exhaled a long breath, seeming to mull over if he should tell Matt anything or not. "We talked to Grim, and found out the window of when Chiron's cronies will come after Jeff."

Matt's eyes widened in shock, but soon the look turned incredulous. "And you were planning on letting me know this when?"

Kane shrugged. "We figured you have enough on your mind as it is."

Matt's anger didn't lessen one bit. "Well, I'd like to know if you don't mind... I can't believed you'd have kept that from me." He growled.

Taker and Kane glared back, but for once Matt did not back down or shrink away immediately. Taker decided for the sake of expediency to just answer the question.

"Between July 8 and July 22."

The anger left Matt's face, quickly replaced with worry for Jeff. "It won't be long now…"

"That's a two way statement." Kane said. "It won't be long until they come for Jeff, but it also won't be long until this nightmare will be over for all of us, one way or another."

Matt nodded, grateful for the strangely comforting words. "If there is nothing else I need to hear, I think I need to head back to my room. I'm feeling tired all of a sudden…"

000

"So what's Café Mommas?'" Jeff asked as he and Maria were served a big plate of Sushi.

"Oh it's the café from the opera, "La Boheme'," Maria grinned and took a bite of her shrimp nigiri.

"Opera fan, huh?" Jeff quirked an eye brow. "I've never actually seen one."

"Oh! You should, it's much better see than to just listen to it. The sets they made for La Boheme were amazing. It made the music even more beautiful." Maria closed her eyes, as the memories of the performance danced through he head once more.

"Maybe we should go some time," Jeff said. "Being a musician, maybe I should expand my horizons to some of the classics."

Maria's eyes snapped open and she beamed at him. "Yes! That would be fun; we should check what's being performed in the next city we're in. That would be so much fun!"

Jeff looked at her bright smiling face, and couldn't keep a smile from his own face. "Yeah it would."

The two remained like that for a few seconds just smiling at each other. Then the smile faded a little from her face and her gaze became a little more intense, staring straight into Jeff's eyes.

Jeff shifted a little uncomfortably, at her gaze. "What's up? Have I got some rice on my face or something?"

Maria blinked; apparently not aware she had been staring. She blushed profusely and looked a little flustered.

For the sake of comfort, Jeff decided to change the subject. "That was a pretty nice aerial move you did against Melina last week."

Maria immediately brightened up again, at receiving a compliment about her aerial skills from the master daredevil himself. "Thanks! I couldn't believe how my body seemed to take over on that one; I thought Melina was going to get me for sure, and I'd go flying backwards out of the ring, when next thing I knew I was flying just like you do..." She reached out across the table and placed her hand on his.

Jeff swallowed hard and felt his heart speed up a few beats more per second. "I think with practice you could be really good…"

Maria beamed at him again. "You really think so?"

"Yeah…" Jeff murmured, looking down at Maria's hand on his. He snapped out of his reverie and pulled his hand back before straightening and eating another piece of sushi in an effort to look casual. "I could help you if you want."

Maria's eyes widened in surprised delight. "Really?! That would be wonderful! Thank you, Jeff!"

"If we can get to the stadium early enough we could start tonight." Jeff grinned.

"I would love that! Thank you!" She got up from her seat and hugged him, and then on impulse, kissed him on the cheek.

Jeff blushed a little at being kissed, mainly at the memories it conjured up of that night when Maria had come to his room to return his pants. She had stayed and given him a massage and had taken care of him after Chiron had sent some painful shocks through his body and they had shared two rather deep kisses in that time.

"Jeff?"

The young Hardy jumped out of his memories a little startled.

"Are you okay?" Maria asked a little concerned.

"Yeah, fine. I was just thinking about something."

Maria placed her hands on his shoulders and began messaging them a little. "You seem tense all of a sudden."

"No, no I'm fine. Please," Jeff removed her hands from his shoulders. "You massages are lethal; I'll be so relaxed I won't be able to eat."

Maria giggled and sat back down in her seat. "You're a funny guy, Jeff Hardy."

"Funny? Usually the word people describe me with is crazy." Jeff chuckled.

Maria grinned slyly. "That too…"

000

"Okay now, when doing a Whisper in the Wind," Jeff explained, "when you jump up on the turnbuckle, you can't have your legs too wide or you'll fall. Believe me, I had my legs too wide once and my neck suffered for it."

"Yeah, I remember the match," Maria shuddered.

Jeff smiled assuredly. "Don't worry; I'll be there to catch you while practice. Now want to give it a try?"

"Yeah!" Maria nodded vigorously.

"Okay," Jeff took hold of Maria's arm. "The time to do this is when your opponent tries to swing you into the turnbuckle."

Maria nodded, and Jeff nodded back, before pulling her toward the turnbuckle. She jumped up and tried to push off the top rope like she had always seen him do, but she lost her balance and began to fall backwards.

Like he said he would, Jeff caught her. Unfortunately, it was right under the armpits, so he ended up with his hands on her breasts. He let go immediately and took a few steps back.

"Sorry about that, I swear I didn't mean to do it." Jeff absently rubbed the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"Can't be helped." Maria shrugged. "Let's try it again; I think I know how to do it this time."

Unfortunately, Maria was wrong; she did not get it the next time, or the next or the next.

"All right, Maria, one more try and then we have to head into the locker rooms and get ready." Jeff said checking his watch.

"Okay! Let's see if I can make it a good one." Maria ran to the turnbuckle and jumped up to the top rope, she found her balanced and pushed off. She didn't have Jeff's signature twist in the move, but it was enough force back to catch Jeff off balance and they both fell to the floor.

They both laughed,

"You're getting closer," Jeff smiled. "But I think you need a little more practice before trying it out in the ring so you don't get hurt."

"I'm glad you're there to catch me." Maria smiled gently back at him.

He looked at her. She looked at him. Before they knew it, their lips met in a soft kiss.

"Hey! Hey!" The Champ John Cena came in, startling both Maria and Jeff. "No violating the ring. You want to do that, take it to the hotel or the closet in the locker room."

"Sorry, John, we just got caught up in the moment." Maria blushed, as she and Jeff got up.

"Oh, ho. Maria and the Rainbow-Haired warrior." Cena grinned at them. "Does CM Punk know about this little liaison?"

"Punk and I broke up, you know that, John," the diva snapped, lightly stamping on Cena's foot.

Cena winced a little but the grin didn't completely disappear. He gave Jeff a friendly slap on the shoulder. "She's a keeper, Jeff," the champ said, before continuing his walk backstage to finish getting ready.

An awkward silence passed between Jeff and Maria as they thought of ways to respond, even though Cena had already left.

"We'd better finish getting ready," Jeff said as he slipped out of the ring.

Maria nodded and followed after him.

000

Jeff Hardy winced as he hit the ground, back first. Sure being dropped was much better than being slammed by The Great Khali, but it still hurt falling nearly seven feet onto the unforgiving surface of the ring canvas. He rolled over onto his stomach and glanced up at his savior. He was surprised to see Umaga had his back inside the ring as well as outside. The Samoan Bulldozer was taking on the Punjabi giant.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Edge trying to make a getaway now that his plan was unraveling. The R-rated superstar had attempted to sic the Great Khali on Jeff like he had done right before Wrestlemania 23. Jeff felt his blood boil with rage like the red river in his hellish dreams. He jumped up and made chase after up the ramp after Edge.

The Rainbow Haired Warrior quickly caught up with his nemesis, grabbing him by his hair, and dragging him back toward the ring. Jeff threw Edge into one of the turnbuckles and was about to continue bashing his opponent's teeth in, when he noticed Khali was starting to gain the upper hand over Umaga. The younger Hardy responded by abandoning Edge and pulling a ladder out from under the ring.

He signaled to the Samoan Bulldozer to take hold of one side of the ladder, while he grabbed the other. The two picked up the ladder and charged toward Khali in the classic Hardy Boyz ladder match move of slamming their opponent in the face with a ladder. Although with Khali's stature they were only able to hit him in the chest, but it was enough to topple the seven foot monster and knock the wind out of him.

While Khali was down, Jeff set up the ladder and began to climb it, much to the roaring delight of the crowd. Meanwhile, Umaga had slipped out of the ring and grabbed the dazed Edge, who was just getting to his feet. He rolled the R-rated superstar back into the ring, just as Jeff reached the height on the ladder he wanted.

The Rainbow-haired Warrior and the Samoan Bulldozer looked at each other and nodded. At the same time Umaga picked up Edge and performed his patented Samoan Drop, Jeff jumped of the ladder forming a Swanton bomb onto Khali.

Jeff growled at the pain in his back; delivering a Swanton bomb to Khali was little better than doing it a rock. He swallowed the pain and lifted up Khali's gigantic leg for the pin. Since Khali was "standing in" for the R-rated superstar, Jeff had to pin Khali not Edge.

For a few moments, relief filled Jeff as the referee counted to three and the match was over, but rage quickly replaced that relief when his eye fell on an out cold Edge lying on the canvas at Umaga's feet. He felt his anger beginning to boil over, and it was taking every once of self control to keep himself from strangling Edge right then and there. However, he settled for picking up Edge's discarded microphone, and saying a few choice words.

"You like it, Edge?" Jeff screamed into the mic. "Do you like being thrown around and beaten up by someone twice your size?! I've got friends too, and if you try to sic Kahli on me again, you're going to get a Samoan spike upside your head and this microphone up your ass!"

With that Jeff threw down the mic and stormed out of the ring, with Umaga following behind. Just as they headed up the ramp, Khali finally got to his feet and began yelling at them in Punjabi. Jeff had no idea what Khali was saying, but Umaga seemed to, or at least he understood the intonations and started yelling back in Samoan.

The multilingual banter might have gone on further if the new General Manager of RAW, William Regal had not come out.

"Umaga! Khali!" Regal announced from the top of the ramp. "Now I know you two have been wanting a match, and I know these fans have been wanting to see you do battle with each other. And so you shall! At the Great American Bash, Umaga vs. he Great Khali for the Intercontinental Championship!"

The cheering fans roared with approval…

000

Jeff carefully placed the ice pack under his back and rested his head on the pillow. "Ugh… I'm going to feel this tomorrow…" He groaned.

Umaga chuckled. "You want sweet from vending machine to make you happy?"

"Yeah..." Jeff reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a couple dollar bills. "A bag of skittles and a Mountain Dew." He paused, pondering his choices over again. "Actually, just get two bags of skittles."

Umaga chuckled again. "All right. I get."

"Thanks, man."

As Umaga exited the room, Jeff shut his eyes. He was looking forward to a nice nap, when his cell phone rang. He squeezed his eyes even more shut and wrinkled his nose, hoping that it would some how block his ears. When that didn't work, he picked-up the phone to see who it was and if it was worth answering. He expected it to be Maria, and sure enough it was.

"Hey, Maria."

"Hey, Jeff, great job on your match tonight,"

Jeff chuckled, grateful for Maria's praise, but really wanted nothing more than to sleep. He hoped Maria would forgive him for asking to talk to her later. "Thanks, I had some help. Um, Maria…"

"That Swanton Bomb you did off the ladder was awesome!"

Jeff blushed a little. "Thanks…Um…Maria…I …I really appreciate this, but I am dog tired and I really need some sleep. Can we talk later?"

Maria giggled over the phone. "How about we talk over dinner?"

"What?" Jeff was caught a little off guard.

"I mean, how about we get together for dinner tomorrow night?"

The rainbow haired Hardy paused as he pondered the question. Lunch was one thing; dinner was more like a real date.

"Jeff?" Maria asked after the long silence.

"Oh, yeah…yeah that sounds nice," Jeff replied automatically.

"Great! I'll let you sleep and call you back tomorrow morning with all the details. Okay?" she said cheerfully. "Bye."

"Bye." Jeff hung up the phone and leaned back deeper into the pillow. He briefly wondered where this thing with Maria was going, but decided to put the thought off and sleep on it a bit.

000

Vince McMahon grumbled to himself when he heard a knock at the door. He had a big enough headache with trying to come up with more exciting matches for the Great American Bash, than dealing with someone's petty problems. "Come in," he said brusquely.

The WWE Chairman was surprised to see none other than the World Heavyweight Champion, the Undertaker, standing before him. The phenom had his championship belt displayed over his shoulder.

"Ah, the one superstar that hasn't pissed me off lately," Vince said, then paused, eyeing the Deadman warily. "You haven't come to piss me off have you?"

"Not intentionally," Taker said.

"Good, what do you want?" McMahon asked, still apprehensive.

"I have an idea for a match at the Great American Bash," Taker answered in his usual solemn manner. "One that will make the WWE go wild."

"Oh, yeah?" Vince quirked a curious eyebrow then smirked. "Have a seat…"

8888

_**Author's Note:**_

_Oooh! What plan does The Undertaker have in mind for the Great American Bash? You'll fin out in the next chapter!_


	12. The Plan

_Disclaimer: All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_000_

"So tell me about this plan…" Vince McMahon leaned back in his chair and waited for the Undertaker to voice is idea for the Great American Bash match.

"It's an eight man Tag-Team match," Undertaker stated. "Rated RKO, with John Cena and Batista vs. the Hardys teaming with the Brothers of Destruction."

McMahon's eyebrows shot up with interest, but then he frowned. "An interesting idea, but why team with Hardys?"

The phenom shrugged. "They are the Tag-Team Champions and I want the best in my corner. Not to mention there will be the underlying tension between Kane and Matt Hardy."

McMahon nodded, but he still frowned. "Fair enough, but there's still one problem. Usually at the Great American Bash we have championship matches, but four of said champions will be in a Tag team match already."

"So make it a championship match," Taker said simply.

McMahon's eyebrows shot up again, and Taker could almost see the blazing light bulb glowing over his head. "A mega Championship Tag Team match, that's something they've never seen before. The guys will have to work together to win and yet, they'll all have their own ambitions to get a championship. Now how to set it up…"

"I have a plan."

"Go on."

"Start off with a match between Batista and Kane," Taker began. "Since Batista couldn't defeat me, he gets to face my little brother instead. Then towards the middle of the fight or towards the end, Rated RKO'll come out of nowhere, maybe from the audience, and hit both Batista and Kane with chairs. They push Batista out of the ring and then focus Kane. "

"I like it, but I want to know why Edge and Orton would risk coming out and gaining the anger of both Kane and Batista," Vince questioned, making sure the reasoning behind the storyline was straight.

"Because Edge is still furious over Kane costing him his Money in the Bank opportunity," Taker stated.

"Of course…" Mr. McMahon grinned, remembering the incident.

After a brutal match with Batista, which Taker won, Mark Henry came out and beat up the Phenom even more. After Mark Henry departed, Edge picked his moment to challenge the already bloodied Undertaker to a title match. As the dazed Undertaker rose to his feet, Edge set himself up in the other corner for a spear. What the Rated-R Superstar hadn't counted on was Kane outside the ring. The Undertaker's brother had gotten there too late to help his brother against Mark Henry, but he did have the chance to save his older brother's title. Kane had grabbed Edge from behind and banged his head into the turnbuckle, leaving the blonde Canadian in a daze as well. By this time, Taker had recovered enough of his senses to fight and he charged Edge, clotheslining him into the turnbuckle. He dragged the Rated-R Superstar out of the corner and chokeslammed him, making the pin for a win. Unfortunately for Edge, the ref had not seen the interference by Kane, so it was a legal match, which meant Edge had just lost his shot.

"Tell me more… How do the Hardys and Cena get involved?" the chairman urged the phemon to continue like a child listening to an exciting bedtime story.

"I'm getting there. Edge and Orton set Kane up for a 'con-chair-to' and I come out to back Kane up. I kick both Orton and Edge out of the ring. And then I follow Orton thinking he and Edge are making an escape through the audience, unfortunately Edge is still by the ring and gets back in with a chair complete the 'con-chair-to'. And then…"

"Jeff Hardy comes in!" McMahon guessed.

Taker nodded.

"And naturally Matt comes in to help his brother and get a few hits on Edge." The chairman grinned.

"Not just yet," the phenom corrected. "John Cena comes out first."

Vince frowned again. "What?"

"You can say Cena wants a little payback for Jeff swanton bombing him in the back during that match with Umaga,"

McMahon pondered that for a moment. "It's a stretch, but I think it could work."

Taker nodded. "Cena then sets Jeff up for the FU, and naturally Matt comes out to help his brother. At the same time Kane sits up and is so pissed, he just goes after the first person he sees, which is Cena. Batista finally recovers, and come back in the ring in time to see Kane chokeslam Cena. Batista and Cena are friends, and Kane was Batista's opponent to begin with, so the Animal starts attacking Kane. Finally, I come back dragging a dazed Randy Orton with me. I throw Orton into the turnbuckle or something and then get back into the ring to help Kane. Meanwhile, Edge has recovered and the Hardys go after him. Some more stuff happens, and then at one point, Kane, the Hardys and I are in one corner of the ring, while Batista, Cena and Rated-RKO are in the other corner. We're all staring each other down, ready to attack."

Vince McMahon's grin was very broad by this time. "And I come out and say…"

000

By strange choice and even stranger fortune, the Hardys found themselves in the same corner as the Brothers of Destruction. They were trying to stare down the four men in the other corner which included, Batista, John Cena, Edge and Randy Orton. The two groups were waiting to see who would make the first move. However, it was decided for them when Vince McMahon's theme played and the WWE Chairman came out.

"Hold on boys!" The chairman called out over the mic. "I know you all want to get your hands on each other for one reason or another. And you'll have it! At the Great American Bash, John Cena and Batista will team with Rated-RKO against the Brothers of Destruction and the Hardys! In an eight man tag-team elimination match!"

Every jaw of every man standing in that ring, except for the Undertaker, dropped in shock. At the same time there was a surprised hush, followed immediately by a loud roar of approval from the audience.

"And to sweeten the deal!" Vince continued. "At every Great American Bash there are always major titles on the line. This match will be no exception! If you pin and eliminate one of the Champions you get his belt!"

Now smiles replaced the shocked looks on the faces of the non-title holders and it was easy to see they were starting to like the idea of this match a lot more.

"And with the way the teams are set up," McMahon pointed out. "At least one title WILL change hands! Now get away from each other!"

And with that the chairman's theme came on and he stalked off stage. He was soon fallowed by a beat-up, but smirking, Edge and Randy Orton who both had high ambitions of attaining a world title. They were followed by Cena and Batista, the latter of whom had a smug smile of his own at getting the chance to claim the Undertaker's Heavyweight Championship.

Meanwhile, the Brothers of Destruction glared over at the Hardys, who in turn looked apprehensive, but still stood their ground. This little moment was all for the sake of the audience and the storyline. Taker had already told the Hardys what he had discussed with McMahon. That it was all for the purpose of being able to be at Jeff's side, to guard him on the night of the Great American Bash, which was the last night of Chiron's window of opportunity to open the Seventh Gate. Because of this it would be the most likely night that Chiron's minions would come to "collect" Jeff.

However, the fans did not know this, so the Hardys and the Brothers of Destruction acted the part of uneasy teammates. The silent staring lasted for about a minute or two before The Undertaker turned his icy gaze away and stepped out of the ring, followed soon after by Kane, leaving two slightly shaken Hardy boys.

000

Jeff looked up from his meal and across the table at Maria. He smiled a little; she was cute even when she was eating. He was grateful for her presence; her sweet face seemed to put all fears of Chiron on the back burner whenever he was with her.

"I gotta admit I'm glad we came here, the food's good," Jeff said off-handedly.

Maria beamed at him. "I know! It's been awhile since I've had anything this good. Thanks for taking me here, Jeff."

Jeff smiled back and winced a little as he adjusted his sitting position. His back was still really sore and the Ibuprofen was starting to wear off.

"Is your back acting up again?" Maria looked at him, eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah…" Jeff winced again.

"Maybe, when we get back to the hotel, I could message it for you…" Maria smiled again.

"You would?" Jeff quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Of course… I know you liked it the last time," she said, thinking to herself, _You're my boyfriend, why wouldn't I give you a back rub if you needed it?_

"Yeah…um…about that…" Jeff stuttered, looking puzzled at her. "Maria...umm, about this relationship, uh don't take this the wrong way but..."

"What?" Maria looked back at him equally confused and a little worried. _Does he want to break up with me?_

"Well, I'm just kind of confused about where I stand," Jeff articulated his thoughts as best he could. "Is this a relationship? Or am I just in the position of "guy friend"?"

"Guy friend? I thought we were past that, Jeff. Sure we started out friends, but I thought we had something more..." She grew more and more upset as she spoke. "I guess I was mistaken…"

Jeff mentally kicked himself for upsetting her. "I only meant that I wasn't sure where things were going. I was getting a lot of mixed signals."

"I'm sorry about that…" she said, still looking distressed. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Oh I wasn't hurt," Jeff insisted, hoping to calm her down. "I was just a little confused that's all…"

Maria sighed in relief. "Really? I was upset… I thought I hurt you and that was the last thing I wanted to do..."

Jeff sighed a little in relief too. "I think all the mixed signals came from a lack of straight forward communication, so plain and simple, how far do we want to go with this?"

Maria shrugged. "How far you want to go?"

"Well, what are your boundaries here, Maria? Kissing? Touching? Sex?" Jeff just listed off the extremes to see where she would fall.

"I like kissing you... and I'd love to touch you..." She reached across the table and put her hand on his. "But Sex...?" She looked somewhat unsure about it. "CM always said that couples often rely too much on sex in a relationship..."

Jeff nodded. "As nice as it is, I've seen some pretty nasty break-ups over it. I mean what is sex in a relationship anyway?"

Maria shrugged. "Just two klunky old bodys thrashing around together," Her breathing became a little more heavy and husky at the thought of it. "Like animals…"

"You get all sweaty and flushed…" Jeff said slowly, his breathing growing huskier as well.

"Your hair gets mussed up in that strangely becoming way…" she murmured.

"Your blood races…" His breathing became more ragged.

"Your heart races…" she rasped.

"Maria!"

"Jeff!"

Just then the waiter walked by, and both lovers knew exactly what to say.

"Check please!"

000

_Hehe! Looks like Jeff is going to get some action! And McMahon seems to be unknowningly going along with Undertaker's plan to protect Jeff Hardy, disguised as a main event match for the Great American Bash. And when is Chiron going to make his next move?_

_NOTE: I reread rules and it states I cannot reply to reviews in the chapter. So I promise I will it reply to reviews sent to me by email or through the reply system they have setup._


	13. The Separation

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Matt found himself in hell once again. The fields of thorn bushes, the river of boiling blood were there just as he remembered from last night. He shivered as he wondered what Chiron had in store for him now. All of the previous dreams involved Chiron torturing Jeff in some way, and forcing Matt to watch. No doubt this would be the same. It always started with Jeff running up to him, and saying he found a way out of hell.

Matt heard footsteps behind him and he turned around. Sure enough there was Jeff running up to him. His little brother grabbed his wrist and began pulling him along. Matt knew what would come next, they would run for awhile, and something would reach out and grab Jeff and tear him away from Matt. This used to terrify Matt, but by the third time he had convinced his mind that it was all just dream, nothing more than an illusion and that the Jeff here was not his Jeff.

However, this time instead of following Jeff, he grabbed his brother's wrist and pulled the younger Hardy to him. He wrapped his arms around Jeff's waist and back, pulling his little brother against his body.

Matt could see the increasingly distressed look on Jeff's face as he tried to get free of his brother's grip. "Matt! Come on, we have no time for this! We have to get out of here!"

Matt agreed completely, but when he commanded his arms to let go of Jeff, they did not. Instead his arms pulled his younger brother closer. Jeff 's face became a mask of pain as Matt's hands pressed in on the sore part of his back.

"Matt! Stop please! It hurts!" Jeff whimpered.

_I'm sorry Jeff! I'm trying! But my arms won't listen to me!_ Matt shouted inside his mind, however his lips whispered. "Ah, your cries of pain, Jeff, are especially sweet."

"What?!" Jeff gasped, looking at his brother in terror.

_What?!_ Matt thought.

With movements not controlled by him, Matt pushed Jeff to the ground and crawled on top of him.

"Matt, stop! Get off me!" Jeff screamed, struggling to get free, as Matt pinned his wrists down.

Matt felt his lips curve into an unwanted wicked smile. "As you wish." He got up, but as he did so branches of the thorny bushes came up and wound themselves around Jeff's arms and legs, binding him to the ground.

Matt redoubled his efforts to regain control of his body and help Jeff, but it was no use, he was only an observer behind his own eyes. He watched in horror as his hands moved of their own accord down the length of his little brother's body and rested on the belt of Jeff's pants.

_NO! _Matt's mind screamed, while his hands unfastened the belt buckle. _Anything, but this! Not by my own hands!_

"Matt, please don't…" Jeff pleaded weakly tears rising to his eyes.

Matt only stared down at Jeff with cold eyes and an equally cold smile on his face, even though he was screaming inside. His expression did not change as he yanked the pants clean off and pushed his little brother's legs apart…

000

Matt's eyes snapped open as his head hit the floor. He had fallen part way out of the bed, his body all tangled up in the sheets. He slowly untangled himself and curled up into a ball on the floor. Despite the dream being over, Matt started sobbing uncontrollably. This was the worst of the nightmares he had ever experienced. Even though it was Jeff who was raped in the dream, Matt still felt violated. He was forced to see and feel what he was doing to his little brother, and he could do nothing to stop it. He was once again helpless to save Jeff.

He looked up to the bed next him, and realized it was empty. It looked like it had never been slept in. Jeff's bag was still sitting there unpacked, but Jeff was no where to be found. Matt panicked and grabbed his cell phone. Dialing his brother's number he prayed Jeff was unharmed.

"Please pick up, Jeff…" Matt whimpered shakily into the phone. "Please be all right…"

000

Jeff woke up with a jolt. He had a strange feeling in his gut that something was wrong. However, the feeling quickly dissipated when his eyes focused on Maria lying next to him, sleeping peacefully.

Last night had been quite interesting, it turned out Maria had wanted it as much as he did, and it turned out CM Punk had taught her some very interesting methods of turning safe sex into a type of foreplay. Jeff never knew that a condom could be made to be so erotic. He smiled at the memory of Maria's soft hands on him.

He wasn't exactly sure what way this relationship between himself and Maria was going. Was he just the rebound guy she wanted in the absence of CM Punk? Or was there something more? In all honesty he himself was not sure what he wanted either. So he had decided to just sit back and let Maria be in the driver's seat and see where they went. So far he liked where they were driving.

He reached out and gently stroked the silky skin of her face. She stirred in response and slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning." She smiled at him and placed her hand on his.

"A very good morning." Jeff grinned sleepily.

Maria giggled and scooted closer to him and gave him a small kiss on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. They moved in for a deeper "good morning-after" kiss, but were interrupted by the ring of a cell phone.

Jeff growled and reached over to his phone on the night stand. "This better be good..."

"Jeff?" Matt's shakey voice came over the phone. "Are you all right?"

Jeff looked at Maria and grinned at her. "I'm just fine."

"Good, I thought that…" Matt stopped as he choked on the lump forming in his throat over the memories of the nightmare.

Jeff frowned, not liking the shakiness of his brother's voice one bit. "Matt, you okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine," Matt whispered, before hanging up the phone.

"Matt?" Jeff became increasingly worried, usually Matt said "goodbye," before hanging up.

"Is Matt okay?" Maria asked softly, looking equally worried.

"I don't know…" Jeff breathed, and got out of bed. "I should go check on him."

"I'll come with you." Maria got out of bed too.

The two of them threw on their clothes, and in a few minutes were heading out the door. They ran into Candice, who was Maria's current roommate. She had spent the night with her current boyfriend, the champ, John Cena. She raised an eyebrow at them. Maria had fresh clothes on, however Jeff's clothes had the crinkled look of spending a night on the floor.

"Excuse me," she said, slipping past them, and toward the bathroom with a smug smile on her face.

"Well, looks like we won't have to worry about telling everybody." Maria sighed. "In a couple hours everybody will already know."

"Then we better go see Matt, he'd be pissed if he was the last person to find out."

000

Matt was curled up in the corner of the shower, just letting the water run over him, as he stared blankly at his feet and the water, pooling around him. He hoped that if he stayed under long enough it might wash away the dirty feeling on his body.

He might have stayed there until his skin looked like a giant prune, but the sound of the key card unlocking the hotel room door jolted him out of his stupor. He quickly turned off the water, stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist, before opening the bathroom door.

"Hey, guys," Matt greeted Jeff and Maria. "What's up?"

"Just checking on you, man," Jeff greeted him back. "You sounded so shaky on the phone, we wondered if you were okay or not…"

"Oh, I'm fine," Matt said softly. "Where were you all night?"

Jeff looked over at Maria, blushing a little. She smiled at him and giggled a little. "Well, I went out to dinner with Maria... and... well… one thing led to another and…"

"Oh my god…" Matt said with some shock, looking between the two of them. Sure the elder Hardy was exhausted and still a little traumatized by the dream he just had, but he could still read the rather clear writing on the wall. "You two totally did it, didn't you?"

Jeff shrugged, grinning like a cheshire cat; Maria smiled and hugged his arm.

"Wha…" Matt seemed completely speechless, like a big event just happened and he had missed it. "When did all this go on?"

"Well, she and I have been seeing each other. I told you that before," Jeff said a little confused at his brother's complete forgetfulness of the relationship between him and Maria.

"Oh… That's right you did…" Matt murmured, his memories about Jeff telling him about his dates with Maria, somehow they had mired down in the muck of the nightmares sent by Chiron. "I just didn't expect things to move so fast between you two."

Jeff grinned. "Live for the moment, right? Well, when the right feeling comes you have to act on it."

"Yeah, right…" Matt managed a small tired smile. "Just don't break my brother's heart okay, Maria?"

"I won't." Maria smiled and hugged Jeff's arm tighter.

"You sure you're okay, Matt?" Jeff did not like how pale and weary his older brother looked. "You look tired."

"Oh…With all the stress of the Great American Bash coming up, I haven't been sleeping very well," Matt said calmly, trying to shrug the subject off.

"Maybe, we'll all feel better after getting some breakfast," Maria suggested.

Matt quickly jumped on it. "Yeah that sounds good. Let me get dressed and I'll meet you guys down in the café."

"All right…" Jeff said slowly. He had the feeling something was wrong with Matt, but could not tell exactly what was bothering his older brother. "We'll meet you down there then."

Matt breathed out a sigh of relief when Jeff and Maria left the room. He could tell his little brother was starting to catch on that there was something wrong. He shivered as the memory of the horrible dream flashed through his memory. It was still so strong and vivid. Then it occurred to him that Chiron might have the power to take control of him, like in the dream, and force him to do those horrible things to Jeff in reality.

He could not let that happen. But what could he do to protect his little baby brother?

He did know he had to keep Jeff as far away from him as possible, but how could he do that without Jeff knowing what was really going on? He groaned as he realized the only way to do it was to get Jeff mad at him. As much as he hated the idea of picking a fight with his brother, if it would keep Jeff safe, so be it.

000

Jeff knew there was something more going on with his big brother, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When something stuck in Jeff Hardy's mind, he tended it to not let it go until it was solved.

They were currently walking down the hallway toward the locker rooms. Tonight's show would be an inter-promotional one, featuring both _Smackdown!_ and RAW in the same ring, although the two brands had separate locker room areas.

"Matt, come on, what's going on?" Jeff continued to prod his brother for information.

"Nothing, Jeff, I'm just tired..." Matt insisted, but the impatience was clear in his voice.

"Just tell me what the problem is," Jeff kept pressing, he knew if he pushed hard enough, Matt would crack, and just tell him.

Sure enough Matt did crack, but not the way Jeff expected.

"I said 'I'm fine,' Jeff!" Matt snapped at his younger brother. "Can you just drop it already?!"

Jeff was a little taken aback by the anger on his brother's face. "I'm just worried about you man…What's up your ass all of a sudden?

"You are, Jeff!" Matt shouted right in his brother's face. "You just won't let something go! I told you over and over again that I'm fine, but you keep pressing me! It's irritating as hell! You just get under everybody's skin like a little tick! So right now, why don't you just go occupy yourself with your stupid little sketches and give me some peace and quiet for a change?"

Jeff stood there, open mouthed for a moment; he couldn't breathe right as if Matt's harsh words had punctured one of his lungs. He couldn't find words to respond, so he just turned around and started to storm off towards RAW's locker room. In the pit of his stomach, he could feel a powerful rage quickly replacing the shock. Matt had hurt him with cruel words, so Jeff would give just the same back. He turned around and stormed right back to Matt. "You're a fucking drag, Matt! You're always acting like you're so superior over me, and you can criticize me all you like, just cause you're my older brother. Well, you know what? That doesn't mean shit!"

Now it was Matt's turn to be in shock. He narrowed his eyes at Jeff. "Oh yeah? Well, you're an ungrateful little shit! And you know what? Next time you're in trouble, see if I care. I've already put my life—" Matt immediately shut his mouth as he realized he almost gave away that he had been bearing Chiron's dreams.

"What, Matt? Put your life on the line for me? I've saved your ass to plenty of times too and you know it! And you've done shit to help me in this whole Chiron situation! Taker and Umaga have been a hell of a lot more help to me than you!" Jeff snarled,

Matt shook his head and counted to ten. His heart ached that his brother accused him of not helping at all. He wanted nothing more than to tell Jeff everything, but he managed to swallow it and continued with his plan of separating Jeff from himself. "Screw you, Jeff! When they come after you I won't lift a finger to help! At least when they take you, it'll get you out of my hair!"

"Oh yeah?! Well fuck you too, Matt!" Jeff screamed, and turning around, he stormed off for real this time.

Matt stopped and just stood there, listening, while Jeff said his peace and stormed off. All that time Matt did not dare turn around and face his brother, for he knew if he did he would burst into tears…

000

Down in the depths of hell, a cold smirk crossed the lips of the hell keeper Chiron. When the demon discovered Matt Hardy's resolve to protect his little brother was stronger than anticipated, tactics had to be switched. Chiron decided instead to use the elder Hardy's protectiveness against him, and it had worked perfectly. The separation of the Hardy brothers had been achieved.

888

_Oh no! It seems Chiron has turned the Hardy Boyz's greatest strength, the brotherly bond between them, into their weakness! Can it be repaired before it's too late?_

_**Fic Recommendation:**_

_Go check out Green Phantom Queen's fic "A Change of Face", it's well written story with a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You can find it in the favorites section of my profile._


	14. The Reunion

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

"They're what?!" the Undertaker growled.

"Fighting," Umaga sighed and then frowned, "Over stupid things too."

Taker rubbed his temples and sat down on his bed, trying to calm his temper. It didn't help that he could hear Kane's frustrated groans in the background. "What were they fighting about?"

"I saw Matt snap at Jeff about Jeff being an annoyance," Umaga explained, his own frustration evident in his voice. "Then Jeff yelled that Matt had done nothing to protect him against Chiron and marched away like a storm."

"And they haven't spoken a word to each other since?" Taker looked up at the Samoan bulldozer.

Umaga nodded.

"Should we tell Jeff that Matt has been protecting him all along?" Kane looked sideways at his older brother.

"The protection symbol only works if the person, it is trying protect, willingly accepts its protection," Umaga said gravely.

Taker took off his hat and combed his fingers through his hair, as he tried to figure out what to do next. "I know…I know…Each scenario has its bad points. If we tell Jeff and he insists on removing the protection symbol he will once again be open to Chiron's nightmares, and suggestions, however if Jeff is on bad terms with his brother, he will not be as strong as he should be when Chiron finally makes his move. That might be even worse…"

"Idiots…" Kane growled. "Damn it! Why the hell do they have to get so stupid now?!"

Umaga mumbled something in Samoan.

The Phenom pinched the bridge of his nose, "Give us strength to not strangle the people we're supposed to protect..." He took another deep breath and blew it out so he could clear his head. "Okay...Let's give them a few days, hopefully they'll patch it up themselves, if not...we'll tell Jeff about Matt's dreams."

"Sounds like a plan…" Kane shrugged, though he was quick to point out the flaws in his brother's plan. "Let's just hope Chiron doesn't make his move before then."

"Thanks for the support Kane…" Taker muttered.

"Anytime brother…"

000

Jeff leaned against the balcony railing and stared blankly out at the city. It had been almost two days and he and Matt were still not talking. Even though he was still very angry at his older brother, he missed having Matt by his side. His older brother had always been a pillar of strength for him, particularly during this whole Chiron situation. Even though the demon had not invaded his dreams lately, without his brother's added strength, Jeff felt even more vulnerable.

"You okay?" Maria asked as she joined him on the balcony.

And here was his other problem. Maria was beginning to detect that there was something terribly wrong with him. Plus, he was growing ever worried that she was becoming too involved with him and might be an innocent bystander caught in the dangerous crossfire. So he'd been keeping her at an arm's length and, giving her a slightly cold shoulder, even though he really didn't want to. He constantly wondered whether to tell her to whole truth or not.

When he didn't answer her she pressed further. "Come on, Jeff… What's wrong?"

"Um…" Jeff started. He was still debating if he should tell her the whole truth or not. He worried if he told her the truth she would either become too involved or think he was crazy and leave him. Without Matt around Jeff really needed a caring voice, which he knew he would not get from either Taker or Kane. He could possibly get it from Umaga, but currently the Samoan bulldozer seemed too irritated with him for not making up with Matt right away.

"Maria…" Jeff started again, and said carefully, "I know you've been asking me about what's really been going on with me and I've been afraid to tell you..."

Maria shook her head and sighed. "Please tell me you haven't been doing drugs again." She looked away from him as she waited for his confirmation.

"What? No! No! It's not that at all," he protested quickly, caught of guard by her half-accusation. He cringed a little bit inside at the fact that his past mistakes might get in the way

She looked back at him, keeping her face carefully neutral. "Then what is it?"

"You're probably not going to believe me when I tell you and you're probably going think I have been hitting the drugs again," Jeff fumbled over his words. "But I swear to God, what I am telling you is the truth, and if you gave me a blood test it would come out clean."

Her face softened a little. "So… what is it then?"

Jeff took a deep breath thinking over his words carefully. "Just hear me out, I didn't believe it myself when it started. Those guys that kidnapped me a couple months ago, they were worshippers of this demon, and they had some sort of cult for him."

The diva's eyes widened in shock. "They were…?" Now she was ready to fully hear him out. Crazy stalkers and kidnappers were a possible threat to every superstar. "Jeff, please tell me what happened."

"They put some sort of curse on me, and this demon started sending me nightmares," Jeff started off shakily, but then it all came spilling out before he realized what he was saying. "The demon said that he was going to invade earth and he was going to use me to do it. That's when the tattoo showed up on my stomach." He lifted up his shirt to reveal the symbol. "It's not ink Maria. It's from in the inside."

Maria reached out and gently brushed her fingers against it, before turning away form him. "I don't know, Jeff... it all sounds too weird to be true. Are you sure you're not doing drugs again?"

'No! Maria, I swear on all that's holy, it's the truth! The reason I've been so distant is I'm afraid you're going to be in danger when they start coming after me again." Jeff pleaded his case. "And if you don't believe me go ask the Undertaker!"

Maria took a few steps away, her back still turned to him. "It's hard to swallow, Jeff, I don't know...I…" She picked nervously at her finger nails. "I think I'd better go…"

"Please don't go!" Jeff started off strong, but by the end his words were almost pleading. "I know it sounds like something I made up, but I swear it's the truth! I'm willing to do anything you want to convince you. Just give me a chance... please?"

Maria swallowed hard. She walked back into the room to grab her purse, before going to the door. Jeff was stunned that his worst fears at how this scenario would go were coming true. All he could do was follow her like a lost puppy. "Please, Maria, I'm begging you, stay..."

She opened the door and hesitated for a moment. However, without looking back, she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Jeff leaned against the door, his shoulders shaking. "Maria… Damn it!" He banged his fist on the door, before turning around and, sliding down it to sit on the floor.

Maria walked uneasily down the hallway, wondering if she did the right thing. She stopped several times and thought about going back, but always continued down the hallway away from Jeff's room. She felt bad about leaving him; he had begged her to stay so much it hurt, but the idea of him going back to the old habits he once had was not a situation she wanted to be in. On the other hand, if he was telling the truth…

She stopped again and headed in a different direction. She soon came to the door that led into the lair of the Brothers of Destruction. She decided it was fair to give Jeff's story a chance. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

After a minute, the door opened to reveal none other than the phenom himself. The Undertaker. "What do you want?"

"Um..." Maria wilted a little under his harsh gaze. "Is it true that a demon worshipping cult is stalking Jeff and put a curse on him?"

Taker's eyes widened, before he lashed out and grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her into the room.

"How do you know this?" the Undertaker snarled, glaring right into her eyes. "Who sent you?!"

"No…no…one…" Maria stuttered, terrified. "Jeff told me. So it's true, then?"

Taker let out a small groan and let Maria go. "Yes, it's true. Though for your own safety, you should not pry into this issue any further."

"Okay…So he's not on drugs…" Maria murmured and smiled. "Thanks, Taker!"

"Is that all?" Taker said; quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah," Maria nodded. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't lying or on something he shouldn't be…"

"He shouldn't have told you…" Taker pinched the bridge of his nose. "But now that it's out, you should not discuss this information with anyone else. Got it?" There was an icy edge to Taker's voice, emphasizing his point.

Maria nodded and, started heading for the door. "Oh um, there is one more thing…"

"What?" Taker snapped.

"Um, is there any way that Jeff's curse could be passed on to someone else?" She tittered, a little embarrassed. "I just want to know in case Jeff and I want to...well you know..."

Taker rolled his eyes. "It's a curse, not an STD…. It doesn't get just passed around."

"Good! Thanks again Taker," Maria smiled at him before leaving the room.

A few minutes later she returned to Jeff's room. The door was surprisingly unlocked, so she slipped in and spotted Jeff lying on one of the beds, with his head covered by a pillow. She crawled onto the bed next to him and spooned in behind him. She felt his body tense as he had not been expecting her touch. He lifted up the pillow and looked at her, surprised.

"You're back…" he whispered.

"Yeah…" she said, nuzzling his neck. "Sorry I ran out before….I just had to think things through. Whether all this is true or not, I'm not going to run out on you when you need me."

He rolled over and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'm glad…"

000

The Undertaker was about to wring the necks of both of the Hardy brothers. Particularly Jeff, not only had he told Maria about things which he really shouldn't have, but he still had not made peace with his brother. It had been almost a week and neither brother had budged to patch up the relationship. It was then that Taker decided to take matters into his own hands, which was why he was storming towards Jeff's hotel room.

It had taken a couple of days for Taker to realize that Chiron might have had a hand in all of this. No doubt the demon had convinced Matt that he should stay as far away from Jeff as possible. Clever bastard.

Taker had no hesitation in pounding on the door to Jeff's room. He was not surprised when it was Umaga who answered the door.

"Good, you're here," the Samoan Bulldozer whispered. "I've been trying to talk to Jeff about making up with his brother, but he won't hear of it. Perhaps you can convince him."

"I intend to," Taker growled.

The phenom stepped in as Umaga stepped out to allow the Deadman to talk to Jeff alone. Just then, the younger Hardy stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and, was drying off his hair.

"Jeff, this feud between you and your brother has to stop," Taker stated, getting straight to the point.

"What for?" Jeff muttered, going over to pick up some fresh clothes. "Matt's the one being an asshole, go talk to him."

"No!" Taker snapped. "You be the better man. If you are going to fight Chiron properly, you're going to have to patch things up with your brother..."

"He was the one who snapped..." Jeff protested, storming into the bathroom to finish drying off and change. "He should come to me first!"

"Oh grow up for God's sake!" Taker shouted through the door.

After he had gotten fully dressed, Jeff threw open the door, almost hitting Taker. The younger Hardy looked very angry and frustrated as well. "Matt's is acting like a total bitch! He snaps at me then claims he's been saving me when he hasn't done shit!"

Taker pinched the bridge of his nose. Here it was. The moment of truth. "Jeff, Matt's been bearing the nightmares sent to him by Chiron in order to keep them from you."

Jeff froze in his place, staring at the phenom in shock. "He did what?"

"After you had the protection symbol placed on you, Chiron started sending dreams to your brother," Taker explained. "It was intended to torture you indirectly. However, he hadn't counted on Matt's resolve to protect you. So Matt said nothing to you about this in order to protect you."

Jeff looked at Taker as if he might cry. "All this time he…"

"Yes…"

"And I yelled at him… All those things I said… I…"

"Acted like an asshole," Taker finished, grabbing Jeff's arm. "Now go make it right."

Ten minutes later found them at the room where Matt was staying, though it was a slight surprise when Shannon Moore opened the door. Just behind him, Matt looked over to see who it was, but immediately turned away when he spotted Jeff.

"Um…What's up?" the prince of Punk said, quirking an eyebrow at them.

"You," Taker pointed to Shannon. "Out of this room."

"What? Now?" Moore looked at the phenom like he was crazy.

"Do I have to say 'now'?" Taker gave him an "I will throw you out if I have to" look.

"Okay, okay… Hey, Matt," Shannon called back into the room at the elder Hardy. "The Deadman is kicking me out, so I'm going to get some dinner before the show okay?"

After Shannon had left, Taker shoved Jeff into the room, closing the door behind the younger Hardy, leaving him alone with his brother. The elder Hardy was sitting on one of the beds, facing away from Jeff; he seemed to be working on putting some new laces in his wrestling boots.

"What do you want?" Matt said coldly, not even turning around.

"Matt, you have to listen to me…" Jeff started uncomfortably, and steeling himself, he kept talking. "I know what's been going on!"

"About what?" Matt snapped angrily.

"About you being the one who was taking those dreams from Chiron!" Jeff blurted out.

Matt froze, almost dropping the boot. "What makes you think I would do that for you?" He was still trying to sound cold and angry, but his voice was shaky.

"Taker told me…" Jeff said softly.

Matt closed his eyes as all of the pretended anger left his face. He turned his head to look at Jeff for a moment, and looked away; back down at the floor.

"Matt… I'm really sorry for what I said to you earlier… I…"

"I know…" Matt murmured, still looking at the floor. "I made you say those things... I wanted you mad at me to keep you away… so you'd be safe…"

"You should've told me," Jeff said as he took a seat on the bed next to Matt. "I would've understood."

"It's not that; it's just..." Matt swallowed the lump in his throat that interrupted his words.

"It's just what?" Jeff prompted gently.

Matt started trembling, his hands clenching around his wrestling boot. "You need to stay away from me Jeff... I might hurt you..."

"What do you mean? I know you, Matt. I know you'd never hurt me!" Jeff protested. "I mean nothing serious beyond the occasional spat we've had. Nothing that would call for a restraining order or something…"

"I know, I would never do that by my own will." Matt swallowed hard again. "One of those dreams... it was so real..."

"What... happened?" Jeff prodded further.

Matt started shaking even more and, looked like he was about to cry as the memory of the dream flashed in his head. "I can't…"

"Why not…?"

"I just can't; not right now…"

Jeff opened his mouth to protest, but closed it, choosing instead to tenderly rub his older brother's back. He could see Matt was really upset and he didn't want to push it further, particularly before the big match they were teaming up in tonight against John Cena and Batista.

Jeff couldn't help but smile a little. He was glad and tremendously relieved that he and his big brother were back on friendly terms. He rested his head on top of Matt's. "You're a good big brother, Matt, and don't let anyone tell you different."

"Thanks…" Matt finally looked up at Jeff, smiling weakly.

It was then that Jeff really noticed how much the dreams had taken their toll on Matt. His elder brother looked pale, dark heavy shadows dragged down his eyes, and his eyes looked dim and dark like a dying star.

"Jeff," he murmured. "Promise me you won't remove the protection symbol."

"Matt…" Jeff began to protest, but the older Hardy cut him off.

"Jeff, please, this is the one way I can help you in all this," Matt insisted. "You have enough to think about with the prospect of Chiron and his cronies coming after you for real; let me shoulder some of the burden along with you."

Jeff might have argued further, but his brother's weary eyes seemed to beg him not to press the matter further.

"All right." Jeff sighed resignedly. "Because you asked me to, I won't remove it, unless I feel that your very life is really being compromised."

Matt shut his eyes, letting out a patient sigh of his own, before nodding to the compromise.

The two brothers sat in silence, leaning on each other's shoulders until there was a loud knock on the door.

"Have you kissed and made up, yet?" Taker called from outside the door.

"Yes," both brothers responded at the same time, and chuckled a little.

"Well it's about damn time…" the phenom growled.

"He's got that right," Jeff grinned at his brother.

000

_Fortunately the Hardys have made up, but what new ploy will Chiron come up with to get his hands on Jeff?_


	15. The Agreement

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Matt Hardy shook his head to clear it, as he climbed the turnbuckle. He'd been feeling dizzy all through the match and the added height was making it worse. Hell, he was lucky he hadn't gotten pinned by Cena or Batista, yet. Luckily, Jeff was fully on his game and picking up Matt's slack. They now had Cena lying in the middle of the ring, while Batista was staggering to get to his feet after Jeff drop kicked him into the steel steps.

Matt tried his best to steady his shaky legs on the turnbuckle. He was so tired and dizzy it was getting harder to focus. He looked over at Jeff already standing up on the over turnbuckle. The elder Hardy smiled and finally found his balance enough to stand up.

Then suddenly the world seemed to spin. He blinked a couple of times hoping it would straighten itself out, but it did not. Instead the world around him grew blurry except for the image of Jeff across the ring.

Jeff stared straight at him. There was something cold and sinister in Jeff's eyes, and when he spoke, it was not his voice, and black blood dripped from his mouth. _"Did you think you could fix things so easily?" _

Though Jeff was across the ring, his voice was as clear as if he were right next to Matt's ear. The elder Hardy blinked a few more times, not believing what he was seeing and hearing. Between blinks Jeff transformed into the hell keeper Chiron.

"_You have no idea what you are dealing with…You can not save your brother by sacrificing yourself…I will ensure that he does not let you do so…"_

Before Matt could even comprehend what Chiron was saying, he fell forward and everything went black…

Jeff watched in horror as his brother fell from the turnbuckle like a dead weight into the ring. He jumped down from his own turnbuckle and dashed over to Matt's side.

"Matt!" Jeff kneeled down next to his fallen brother, and tried desperately to get Matt conscious again. "Matt! Matt talk to me!"

The ref came over to check on Matt as well, then signaled for the match to be declared a "no contest". By this time Cena sat up, looking a little confused that he had not been leg-dropped by the two Hardys. Meanwhile, Batista got back into the ring

"What happened?" Batista came over to the two brothers, looking alarmed.

"I don't know…I don't know…! He just toppled over," Jeff said clearly panicked. "Come on Matt! Wake up dammit!"

Fortunately a few minutes later the EMTs showed up and carefully placed the still unconscious Matt on a stretcher, and carried him out, with a shaken Jeff following closely behind.

000

Chiron was not happy. At first it seemed that his plan was going correct when the Hardys had stopped talking to each other. But then one of Grim's reapers interfered and forced the Hardys to make up, and Matt to admit Chiron had been sending him nightmares. At first even that might have been a good thing, however, Matt made Jeff promise to not remove the protection symbol.

No, Chiron was definately not happy. It was time to switch tactics once again, and this time it would be drastic measures. However, if he was going to do what he had planned, he would need help from one of his associates, willing or not.

000

Jeff sat in the hospital Emergency Room holding his brother's hand, hoping at any moment Matt would open his eyes and be all right. The younger Hardy was wavering in limbo between bursting into tears and punching some one in the face out of frustration.

The physicians hadn't told him much, just that at the very least all of Matt's vital systems were functioning on their own. The nurses took a sample of his blood to check for drugs, toxins or any abnormal ph levels in his blood that might have caused Matt's sudden loss of consciousness.

Jeff was grateful that Cena, Batista and Ashley had accompanied him to the hospital right at after the match. The younger Hardy knew that if he had been forced to wait in the ER waiting room all alone, wondering if his brother was dead or alive, he might have gone mad with worry.

Once the medics were sure Matt was stable, they allowed Jeff to go in and sit at Matt's bedside. Even though Ashley was the elder Hadys' significant other, visitors were restricted to one family member, due to the confined space of the ER.

Because of this Jeff was every surprised when both Taker and Kane showed up in the doorway of the small room.

"Has he awakened at all yet?" Taker asked evenly, while Kane moved over to examine Matt for possible causes to his condition, using reaper methods.

Jeff shook his head sadly in answer to Taker's question.

"How did you guys get in here, without security being called?" Jeff asked automatically, as he looked back at Matt, not really caring what the answer was.

"We have ways of persuasion that don't necessarily involve threatening someone's life…" Taker answered as he shut the door to the small room.

"Yeah, we actually respect the sanctity of the hospital environment," Kane said in all seriousness, while he looked Matt over. "Taker, it looks like he's in a dream state."

"Does it look like Chiron's involved?"

Kane nodded. "Do you want to go in or should I?"

After a slight hesitation, Taker answered. "I'll go in."

The hesitation in the Phenom's answer did not go unnoticed by his younger brother. "Are sure?"

Taker nodded firmly. "I'm sure."

"Okay…" Kane relented with a slight warning tone to his voice. "I'll go stand outside and make sure no one comes in."

"You do that," Taker nodded as he went over to sit on the other side of Matt's bed, across from Jeff.

After Kane left, Jeff looked pensively at Taker. "What did you guys mean by 'dream state'?"

"Your brother won't wake up until Chiron decides the dream is over," Taker answered plainly.

Jeff swallowed hard, dreading what tortures Chiron might have in store for Matt in the dream. "So what am I supposed to do? Sit back and let him torture Matt?"

Taker took one of Matt's hands in his, then held out his other hand to Jeff. "First you can help me get Matt out of this nightmare."

Jeff looked at Taker's outstretched hand, with some uncertainty. "Please tell me you're not implying we need to hold hands, are you...?"

"Do you want to help Matt or not?" Taker snapped, in no mood for such trivial insecurities.

"Yeah," Jeff took the Phenom's hand. "Now what do we do?"

"Close your eyes and clear your mind," Taker instructed calmly.

Jeff closed his eyes a little hesitantly. "You're not going to give me a 'surprise' are you?"

"Shut up and clear your mind!" Taker growled.

Jeff nodded and did as he was told. Suddenly, he felt a rush like wind past a speeding car. No sooner had he begun to wonder where this sensation was coming from, he found himself standing next to Taker in field of thorn bushes. Jeff looked around and knew exactly where he was.

"Oh hell…"

000

"Oh hell…"

That was all Matt could think of when he realized where he was. He had gone directly from the wrestling ring, to the seventh layer of Hell. He should have known this would happen, after he spilled everything to Jeff earlier that day.

"Matt!"

Matt turned to see Jeff, or at least the illusion of his little brother running toward him. The elder Hardy idly wondered how the nightmare would play out this time. He prayed silently that it would not involve him sexually assaulting him his little brother.

Matt clenched and unclenched his fists as if to be sure he was still in control of his body. He was relieved to know that for the moment he was.

"You okay?" Jeff asked as he came up to him.

"I'm fine," Matt breathed, then decided to take control of the dream, before it controlled him. He grabbed Jeff's wrist and started running in the opposite direction, Jeff usually led him in the dreams.

"Matt, wait!" Jeff dug his heels into the ground, forcing them to slow down and stop. "It's no use running around if we don't which way to go!"

"I do know which way to go! I've been here before," Matt insisted, trying to pull Jeff along.

"Matt, this place changes its configuration everytime!" Jeff protested.

Matt stopped and let go of Jeff's wrist. He lowered his head and let out a large sigh of frustration. "Shit…Which way do we go now…"

Jeff came up behind Matt and wrapped his arms around his older brother's shoulders. "Shh…It's okay, We'll be okay man, I'll figure out a way."

Matt solemnly reached up and patted Jeff's hand. "I know…"

"You've always protected me so I'll protect you this time," Jeff purred as he slowly and subtly slid his hand down Matt's shirt, and nuzzled the back of his older brother's neck.

Matt felt a cool chill of fear run up and down his spine. "What are you doing, Jeff?"

Jeff buried his head in Matt's hair and inhaled. "I'm sorry, you just smell so nice, it's easy to forget where we are."

Matt jerked himself away from Jeff. He took a few more steps away from his little brother, his heart racing with dread. "What's wrong with you Jeff?"

"What do you mean?" Jeff looked at him innocently.

"You coming on to me that's what's wrong!" Matt snapped.

Jeff smiled at him. "That's because the only one I care about is you…"

Matt swallowed hard, something about Jeff's smile unnerved him. There was something dark and sinister around the edges of those bright eyes.

"I care about you to Jeff, but…" Matt said, loosing some of his firmness.

"But what…?" Jeff prompted softly.

Matt turned away from Jeff, to try and gather his thoughts. "It's just…look I just want to get out of this place, the evil here seems to be affecting both of us."

Matt turned back around to see if Jeff agreed with him on that point. For moment he saw a dark look cross Jeff's face, then the next thing Matt knew he was falling backwards. Even before he got over the shock of hitting the ground, Jeff's mouth was pressed over his and the younger Hardy's tongue was practically shoved down the elder Hardy's throat. Matt's stomach turned over as he felt his little brother's tongue caress his mouth.

He struggled and managed to get a hand inbetween his younger brother's face and his own. "Jeff! What's wrong with you?!"

Jeff smiled down at him. "I love you Matt."

"I love you too, Jeff...but not like this!" Matt tried to sit up, but Jeff was still straddling his waist.

Jeff frowned. "Deny, Deny , deny that's all you ever do MAtt!"

"What are you talking about?" Matt snapped in both anger and fear. "I'm not denying anything!"

Without another word Jeff pinned Matt's left wrist the ground. Then the younger Hardy took Matt's right hand and kissed the palm. "You've always wanted me. All those stolen hugs and touches, I could see the desire in your eyes." Jeff ran Matt's hand from his face, down the length of his body, and over areas that were forbidden for a brother to touch.

Matt stared at his brother in fear and disgust as he tried to pull his hand out of Jeff's grip. "What are you doing? This isn't like you! I don't know how many drugs you've been taking, but this is not true!"

While keeping his older brother's right hand on the on the inside of his thigh, Jeff brought Matt's left hand up to his mouth."No drugs Matt," Jeff murmured kissing Matt's fingertips. "I would never again let such a thing come between us."

"Jeff I'm your brother, not your lover!" Matt finally pulled his hands out of Jeff's grasp. "This is insane!"

Suddenly Jeff's expression turned sad and he gazed longingly at Matt. "I can't help it Matty, I want you so much," The younger Hardy rested his forehead on his older brother's chest.

"Jeff," Matt softened his voice a little. "For the love of god! I'm your brother, I care for you, but not this way!"

Jeff lifted his head and his expression darkened. "I'm sorry Matt, but I'm no longer going to ask, I'm going to take!"

Suddenly branches of the thorny bushes reached out and bound Matt's arms and legs to the ground. However, the thorned branches were careful not to cut into Matt's flesh.

"What is this?!" Matt stared on in horror at the branches entwining themselves around his body. Then he remembered the dream he had before, where he had Jeff pinned down, now the roles were reversed. Perhaps the real Jeff was still in there, he had to try and talk Jeff down.

Jeff licked his lips as he pulled Matt's shirt open to reveal his smooth and sculpted chest. The younger Hardy's lips trembled as he ran his hands over the muscular planes, and planted a kiss on his older brother's abdomen. "You're so beautiful Matty..."

"Jeff, stop this!" Matt shouted, redoubling his efforts to free himself from the thorny bonds.

Jeff's hands slipped down into Matt's pants and began to palm his groin. "Why? All I want is to give you pleasure. And don't just tell me to stop just because it's supposedly "wrong", I need a better answer than just that."

Matt felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as his body reacted to Jeff's pleasurable ministrations. "Please, stop..." Matt moaned softly, his resolve began to weaken.

"I knew that would quiet you down," Jeff smirked.

Matt's eyes rolled back into his head as his body was bombarded by all of the pleasurable sensations. They were working on him to break down his barriers and give in.

Suddenly, images of playing baseball and forming their own wrestling federation in the backyard flashed in front of his eyes. Always his little brother tagging along behind him wherever he went. Even up that particularly large evergreen tree.

"_Matty! Don't let go!" _

_"It'll be okay Jeff! I won't let go! Now reach for my other hand!" _

_"I can't! I'm scared I'm gonna fall, Matt!"_

_"Come on Jeff you can do it! I know you can!"_

The bond of brothers, the unconditional love of family. Even weakened or bent it would always come back into shape, but once broken it could never truly be mended again.

"Jeff, stop," Matt managed to move his hand enough to place it on top of Jeff's. "No matter how much I love you, the kind of sexual love you intend is wrong, because it'll break the bond we already have between us! We would be lovers not brothers. I love you as a brother, doing this could shatter our relationship as siblings. I could never forgive you and when you finally realize and come to your senses...it'll be too late."

Jeff abruptly stopped his ministrations. He stared at Matt blankly for a moment, then smirked "Good answer."

Matt's eyes widened, and he held his breath in shock. The voice that had just come out of Jeff's mouth was not his little brother's voice. Instead of deep and smooth, laced with a southern accent, this new voice was hoarse and whispery. Matt could not even tell if it was male or female.

In his shocked state all Matt could utter was a whispered, "What the--"

To make the situation even more confusing that it already was, another "Jeff" came running over the hill toward them.

"Matt!"

Matt looked back and forth between the two "Jeffs". The funny thing was, the second one that had shown up seemed more like his Jeff, but in this world who could tell?

At first Jeff was horrified to come over the hill and saw someone, in his image, molesting his brother, but soon the horror turned to rage. He charged toward them. "Take your hands off him you incubus, son of a –"

Jeff was interrupted when the Undertaker caught up with him, grabbed his wrist stop him and clapped a hand over Jeff's mouth before the insult could pass his lips.

"That's not an incubus Jeff!" Taker hissed still keeping his hand firmly clasped over Jeff's mouth. "The copy is too perfect, that is Libido, the keeper of the second layer of hell. So keep your mouth shut. We don't need two hell keepers after you."

The doppelganger Jeff, now known as Libido, slowly got off of Matt, though the thorn bushes still bound the older Hardy to the ground. The hell keeper studied Jeff for a moment, then smiled his eyelids drooping in a sultry way. He turned back to Matt, looking amused.

"No wonder you did not fall for me, I didn't get it quite right," Libido smirked.

The hell keeper ran his hands through his hair turning, it into braids, and changed it into the color purple, instead of blue like it was before.

"Better?" The hell keeper looked back down lustily at Matt.

"No!" Matt screamed and renewed his struggles to get free from the thorned branches.

Libido only chuckled. "Aw too bad, I rather like the braids though, I think I'll keep them…"

Even though Libido kept Jeff's face and hair his clothes began to change into was a sleeveless coat with a high neck made of shiney black leather that stretched down to his ankles. Bands of the same fabric wrapped around his arms so they looked almost like Jeff's arm stockings. His skin changed from a human beige to almost white and translucent, so the veins full of the demonic black blood could be seen winding their way across his whole body.

"Why are you here Libido?" Taker growled.

"Well, I got a tip from Chiron that one of my incest souls got out of the second layer, and may be wondering around the seventh layer...I thought he was the one," Libido glanced over at Matt, then back at Taker. "But he passed the test so I guess he was wrong…"

"Then Chiron has deceived you, Libido," Taker said solemnly. "He has channeled you into that man's dream, he is not a soul he is still alive."

Libido's sultry drooped eyes, widened as shock and anger streaked across his face. Then he frowned darkly and screamed at the top of his lungs. "CHIRON!"

A few seconds later the aforementioned hell keeper appeared. "Yes, Libido…?"

"Chiron, my friend, why have dragged me away from my souls into this mortal's dream?" Libido asked in a voice like honey dipped in venom.

Chiron glared at Libido, but instead of answering he waved a hand in Matt's direction. The thorny branches grew to lift Matt up into a vertical position. Then they tightened cutting into Matt's skin. The older Hardy screamed in pain as blood dripped down each thorn.

"Matt!" Jeff screamed, trying to break free of Taker's grip to try and help his brother. "Let him go!"

Libido gazed at the scene, for a moment he stared completely entranced, looking as if it were the most erotic site he had ever seen. Then he blinked and shook his head, before turning back to Chiron.

"Don't distract me!" Libido snarled. "There's something more to all of this! What are you up to?"

"Hmmm, you've become stronger Libido…" Chiron raised an eyebrow at the younger hell keeper.

"Stop changing the subject and tell me what you're up to, if you don't I'll go tell Grim you're up to something bad," Libido warned.

Chiron pointed to Jeff and leveled with a cold gaze. "This human is to be my vessel once it is time...then I will be able to send all violent souls on Earth into Hell myself…"

The anger left Libido's face and he just stared at Chiron in shock. "You're actually going to go through your gate, when the window is open?"

"Yes," Chiron answered icily.

Libido grinned and his sultry gaze returned again "Oh… how daring…"

"Lord Libido!" Taker called out. "I implore you come with me to inform Grim of this, with your testimony and mine it will be enough evidence for Grim to imprison Chiron before he does this effrontery!"

"Now why would I do that to my good friend Chiron?" Libido grinned wickedly at them, before sauntering over to Matt. "After all... He has shown me some very lovely sights today."

As if to entice Libido further to his side Chiron tightened the branches entwined around Matt's body, causing the elder Hardy to cry out in pain again.

"Ah, the sounds of suffering, so sweet," Libido murmured, gently stroking Matt's cheek. "Especially sweet when they come from such an alluring mouth." He gently traced Matt's lips with his finger tips. "A ravishing sight. Beautiful lips trembling with pain." Libido placed a tender kiss on Matt's trembling lips.

Despite the excruciating pain all over his body, Matt managed to find his voice for a few moments. "Fuck you! You fucking freak!"

"Please, stop! Leave Matt alone!" Jeff screamed, more pleading than demanding now. "I'll do anything just please stop hurting him!"

"Jeff shut up!" Taker shouted.

"Remove the protection symbol from your body in the real world, and Matt will wake up," Chiron said coldly. "It is up to you."

"How dare you make deal like that Chiron!" Taker snarled. "It'll make it all the worse for you when you get caught!"

Chiron glared at the phenom. "You are in no position to threaten me reaper! Even less considering who you were once."

"Don't go there with me Chiron!" Taker raised his scythe. "If you do, I'll use this on your head!"

"Spoken like a former keeper of the seventh layer," Chiron drawled. "Obviously your rebirth failed. I assume this reaper business is your last chance at redemption, is it not?"

The others including Libido looked shocked at this revelation, and exchanged glances between Chiron and the Undertaker.

"Shut your mouth and stay out of my head!" Taker snarled.

"Ah, the advantage of being a hell keeper, able to read another's mind, and this being a nightmare, makes it all the easier," Chiron stated with a slight sneer in his voice. "If you strike me here, you will gain nothing, and you know it, in fact that trauma might be too much for Matt Hardy to handle."

"Taker please…" Jeff quietly pleaded.

Chiron turned serious gain. "My terms still stand."

Taker growled lowly to himself as he looked over at Jeff. "Your call."

Jeff looked at Chiron right in the eye. "I'll remove the protection symbol as long as you let Matt go and never haunt his dreams again!"

"Agreed," Chiron nodded. "When you remove the protection symbol, your brother will wake and he will never see me in his dreams again."

Jeff nodded back. "Agreed."

And with that Taker took Jeff's arm and they both disappeared back into the real world. Jeff looked down at Matt who was still "asleep", but there are no wounds on his body.

"It's still just a dream, Chiron could not do real physical harm to Matt," Taker explained. "However, Matt's mind thinks it's real so Matt still feels the pain."

Jeff growled. "Chiron… No matter, what he does to my body, I promise that nothing will ever hurt my brother again..."

"Are you sure you are ready to endure this? Chiron is going to be angry with you," The Phenom said gravely. "What you've seen done to Matt, he's going to take it up a notch, the next time he meets you in a dream."

Jeff gulped, but nodded firmly. "I know...but if it's for my brother, I'll do it..."

"Fine," Taker half sighed, half growled. "Take off your shirt."

Jeff removed the shirt exposing of the protection seal that was painted on his back. He put his hands on a nearby wall and braced for whatever the Phenom intended to do.

Taker put his scythe against Jeff's back, "This may sting a bit..." He ran the blade down along Jeff's back. It did not cut the skin, but it scraped off the symbol and it's magic.

Jeff bit his lower lip at the pain, but managed to contain his tears. When Taker had finished Jeff looked down at Matt again, hoping his eyes would be open.

Just as the younger Hardy began to wonder if he had made a raw deal, Matt's eyes snapped open and he sat panting, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He looked down at his body, looking for the horrible gashes the thorns had inflicted, but they were not there.

"Matt!" Jeff smiled and hugged his brother. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Matt sighed in relief and hugged Jeff back. "That was insane."

"It's only going to get worse as the end of the window period nears," Taker said solemnly.

"We know, we know…" Jeff groaned.

"Taker…" Matt narrowed his eyes at the phenom. "What did Chiron mean when he said 'Spoken like a former keeper of the seventh layer'? Was he referring to you?"

"That's none of your concern!" Taker snapped.

"But…"

"Don't argue with me!" Taker growled. It seemed a particularly sensitive nerve had been touched.

He pointed his scythe at the two brothers."You've already made my job a lot harder, and I swear to God if you do not do exactly as I dictate from now on, you two are on your own!"

And with that Taker stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Leaving two rather terrified Hardys…

000

_Things are going to get pretty dark for our heroes. Now at the moment Jeff has removed the protections symbol, their biggest ally, The Undertaker seems to be angry with them for some reason. And what are the suppressed memories of Taker's past that Chiron was referring to…?_


	16. The Attempt

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Jeff Hardy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Only three more days and the nightmare would be over. At the very least now he had Matt fully at his side and he could draw from his older brother's strength once again. He looked over at his brother, walking beside him and, couldn't keep from smiling a little.

The Hardys had tag-teamed in a re-match against Cena and Batista, since they didn't get to finish their first match due to Matt passing out during it. Matt's subsequent blood test had revealed he was clean of any substance that would go against the WWE Wellness policy. The doctors had attributed it to exhaustion and low blood pressure, and they released him from the ER as soon as he was awake.

Strangely enough, even though Jeff had removed the protective symbol from his back to protect Matt, Chiron had not visited his dreams at all. Matt said that the hell keeper had been absent from his sleep as well. Despite finally getting a full night's sleep, this turn had made Jeff extra apprehensive.

What had added to his apprehension was the fact that Taker seemed to be avoiding contact with them, which why it was Kane who had warned them that they must be extra vigilant. Since it was so close to the end of the window period, Chiron had to make his move at kidnapping Jeff soon. Which meant Jeff was not allowed to go anywhere alone, including the bathroom, and someone, usually Matt, had to stand right outside of the bathroom stall while Jeff did his business.

"Three more days…"

"What did you say?" Matt looked over at him. The elder Hardy was already looking a lot less pale than before and the bags under his eyes had started to shrink.

"This is all going to be over in three days." Jeff sighed.

Matt smiled and put an arm around Jeff's shoulders. "That's right."

Just then Teddy Long came over to them. "Matt Hardy, McMahon wants to see you in the office." He glanced over at Jeff and back at Matt. "Alone."

The Hardys exchanged glances. Matt was wary of leaving his little brother alone at this critical time. Jeff luckily spotted Batista and Cena down the hall, talking.

"I'll go talk to John and Dave," Jeff motioned towards the other two wrestlers. "Give me a call when you're done, okay?"

Matt nodded and followed Teddy, while Jeff walked over to join Cena and Batista.

000

Edge groaned as his whole body ached, he and Randy had just had their asses handed to them on a plate by the Brothers of Destruction. It seemed that either Johnathan Coachman or Teddy Long had it in for them.

He was currently playing the recluse and, hiding in a bathroom stall. He had a headache already from the Tombstone Piledriver he had received from the Undertaker, and he knew the locker room chatter would only make it worse.

Edge was distracted from his aches and pains when he heard a great commotion coming from the locker room. There was scuffling and grunting and the slamming of lockers, but just as Edge wondered if he should go investigate the sounds stopped. It suddenly became eerily quite. Edge gulped and almost opened the bathroom stall's door when he heard voices.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized them as Randy Orton and Ken Kennedy. However, there was something odd about them that made Edge hesitate again in opening the stall door. Randy and Kennedy were not speaking English, or any other human language Edge had heard of, and with all the country hopping the WWE did, that was a lot.

The R-rated superstar got up on the toilet seat and peered cautiously over the stall door. Kennedy and Randy looked normal enough at first glance, but then Edge caught their reflection in the bathroom mirror and it told a much more frightening story. In the mirror's reflection, they looked like stereotypical demons from bible stories and movies, with pitch black bodies and horns, bat wings, claws and big gnashing teeth. Also they had tails with a sharp looking spar on the end.

Edge pinched himself to make sure this wasn't some nightmare he was in. Unfortunately it was real. He watched as the monster imitating Kennedy held up a cell phone and spoke in his strange language while the other one chuckled in a sinister way. They were up to something. In the back of his mind Edge wondered what had happened to the real Kennedy and Randy.

He ducked down into the stall again just as the fake Randy turned its head in his direction. He felt a cold shudder run down his spine when he heard the creature's footsteps approaching the stall. The fear he felt even more intense since the stall wasn't locked. He thought about locking it right now, but then they would know for sure he was in there. There was no where to hide, except…

He grabbed on to the metal coat hanger on the back of the door and lifted up his legs just as the false Randy opened the door. Edge silently prayed that his already tired muscles would continue to hold him up, and that the coat hanger would not break off the door

His prayers held out, and after a quick surveillance of the stall both demons left the bathroom completely. Edge, slowly let himself down. He sighed in relief that he was not caught, but now he was trapped and those monsters were sure to come back…

000

When Matt finished with his meeting with Vince McMahon, he was quite alarmed to find that Jeff was not standing with Cena and Batista, like he had left him.

"Guys!" Matt jogged up to them. "Have you seen Jeff?"

"Yeah," Cena shrugged. "He had to run back to the locker room to get his cell phone."

"His cell phone? He didn't have it with him?" Matt looked at them even more panicked.

"Hardy!" the unmistakable voice of the Undertaker rang down the hallway, as he and Kane stalked toward them. "Where's Jeff?"

"He went to the locker room to get his cell phone," Matt answered, and started dialing Jeff's number on his own cell phone.

"You let him go alone?!" Taker snapped, grabbing the front of Matt's shirt.

"You idiot! You were supposed to look after him while we were in our match!" Kane snarled.

"Hey!" Batista managed to separate Matt from Taker. "It's not Matt's fault. He got called to Mr. McMahon's office, and Jeff came over to talk to us, then ran back to get his cell phone. What's the big deal?"

"What's going on, Taker?" Cena raised an eyebrow. Neither he nor Batista had ever seen the Phenom this flustered before.

"Would you guys shut up, I'm trying to reach Jeff!" Matt snapped, caring more about what was happening to Jeff than anything else. Now more than ever, Matt prayed that Jeff would pick up the phone and be okay…

000

Jeff entered the RAW locker room and was relieved to hear the familiar voices of Kennedy, Orton and Shelton Benjamin. It made him feel less bad about not asking Batista and Cena to go with him to get his cell phone, which he had foolishly left in the locker room. At least he wasn't alone.

He walked past Kennedy and Orton, who were talking, and then past Shelton who was lacing up his shoes. Jeff walked around a corner of lockers and spotted his cell phone sitting on the bench near his locker.

As if on cue, when he picked it up it rang. It was Matt.

000

"Jeff, are you alright?" Matt asked with the alarm he still felt when he had returned to find Jeff missing.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jeff replied in a calm voice to comfort his brother. "I just wanted to grab my cell phone. I thought I had put it in my bag, but I guess I didn't…"

"Jeff! Have you gone brain dead? Why didn't you take someone with you?" Matt snapped out of worry.

"Don't worry, man…" Jeff soothed. He was getting used to these panicked outbursts. "I wouldn't have gone in if no one was here. But Ken, Randy, and Shelton are here, so I'm not alone."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief, "He's not alone; Ken, Randy and Shelton are there."

"Wait, that can't be right, they're over there," Cena pointed to the aforementioned wrestlers, walking towards them down the hallway.

"Hey, guys what's happening?" Shelton greeted them.

"Oh hell…" Taker growled, before taking off towards the locker room, with Kane following close behind.

"Jeff, you need to get out of there now!" Matt shouted into the phone as he followed after Taker and Kane. "It's not the real guys!"

000

Jeff swallowed hard as a cold chill ran up and down his spine. He was alone in a locker room with men who could be Chiron's followers in disguise. He hung up the phone and dashed back toward the locker room's entrance. However, as he turned the corner he saw his escape was blocked by three of Chiron's incubi.

"Um…Oh shit…" Jeff growled. Not knowing what else to do, he chucked his duffel bag at the group and took off towards the other exit.

As he neared it, a black tail lashed out from behind a row of lockers in front of him. The bulk of it slammed into Jeff's chest while the rest rose up and over his shoulder to stick sharp stinger in his back between his shoulder blades. He fell back onto the floor; both his front and his back hurt.

The fourth incubi stalked toward him. Jeff rolled over and grabbed the nearest weapon he could find, a steel chair. The incubi reached for him. Jeff whacked its hand away and, jumping to his feet, he whacked it in the head. The creature staggered backwards into the row of lockers.

Jeff unsteadily made his way toward the exit. The world seemed to be spinning around him and his vision blurred as he reached the door and turned the handle.

It was locked.

"No! NO!" Jeff screamed, desperately trying to force the door open. "Someone! Anyone! HELP!"

Jeff felt his breath catch in his throat when he heard the sounds behind him. The other three incubi had caught up to him. The young Hardy's fist clenched around the chair, turning around, he stood his ground.

"Come on you son of bitches!" Jeff charged toward them.

He struck the first one in the head and the second in the chest. However, the third dodged his attack and punched him in the stomach. Jeff buckled over, but managed to stay on his feet though he was growing dizzier by the second. His body began to shake with the sudden fatigue. Was he just tired from the match, or had the incubi's stinger contained some sort of venom?

Jeff swung the chair blindly out in front of him only to have it grabbed and jerked away. He staggered forward and a black fist crashed into the side of his head. He fell to the floor again, completely reeling from the blow to the head.

He groaned and gazed up in a daze as the four incubi gathered around him.

"_Now we have the chosen one…"_

"_And we did not have trouble with that reaper…"_

"_Chiron will be pleased…"_

Jeff was still dazed barely aware when one of the incubi slung him over its shoulder. "Matt…help…"

However, it was not Matt who came to save him, but the Hardys' old nemesis, Edge.

The R-rated superstar snuck out of the bathroom and grabbed the chair that had been yanked from Jeff's hands and discarded. He ran toward the group of incubi, striking the first one in the back of the head and the second in the face, breaking its front fangs. Swinging the chair wildly, Edge shoved it into the third one, knocking them both down. The fourth, the one carrying Jeff, lashed out with its tail at Edge, striking him in the shoulder. However, though Edge reeled back, he was not deterred. He chucked the chair at the incubi's head. The chair hit its mark and the creature fell backwards, dropping Jeff in the process.

Edge ran over to Jeff and slapped his face a couple of times. "Come on, Jeff, wake up!"

When Jeff opened his eyes, Edge hauled him to his feet and helped him stagger toward the exit.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Edge rasped to himself. "I could have been killed."

"That's the spirit," Jeff said drowsily, the venom from the incubi was really starting to affect him now, and the blow to the head he had received earlier didn't help. "Just like the old Edge, who jumped off ladders like me."

"We can reminisce later over a drink." Edge grinned, before turning serious. "Right now we need to get out of here!"

"We can't get out, the door's locked…" Jeff murmured.

"Shit…" Edge hissed. Switching tactics, he quickly ducked himself and Jeff behind a row of lockers just as the recovered incubi rounded the corner in pursuit of them. For now they had a few seconds of breathing room.

Jeff's head started to droop forward as he grew drowsier and drowsier from the incubi's venom. Edge gave Jeff's hair a sharp tug to wake him up a little.

"Now's not a good time for a nap, Jeff!" Edge whispered, looking for a way out. He spotted a door off to the side of them, most likely it connected to the Smackdown! locker room. Making a break for it was a risky move. If that door was locked too, then they were screwed. However, if they stayed where they were, they were also screwed. Weighing those options, Edge decided to take a chance.

He helped Jeff to his feet and they dashed over to the door as fast as they could. For the moment luck seemed to be on their side as the door was unlocked. However, just as Edge pushed the door open, one of the incubi caught up to them and struck the R-rated superstar in the back of his shoulder.

Edge cringed and fell forward into the other room along with Jeff. He kicked the door closed and managed to stagger to his feet. Now he knew why Jeff was so out of it. He had just been stung and already the world was spinning.

Still, he managed to grab a now barely conscious Jeff and drag him over toward the exit, hoping that it was not locked as well. The incubi burst open the door he and Jeff had just come through, and were quickly closing the distance.

The venom was throwing Edge's equilibrium off and he fell backwards, pulling Jeff on top of him.

"Damn it!" Edge cursed as he tried to reach up and grab the door handle.

The incubi came closer and one of them reached out for Jeff.

Suddenly, door was flung open and in the doorway stood the Undertaker. The incubi hissed and stared, shouting in their strange language at him. The phenom glanced at the incubi sting marks on both Jeff and Edge. He glared back the monsters, before stepping in between them and their target.

Taker growled and, holding up his hand, he pulled out his scythe from thin air. "How about taking on some one from your own dimension?"

Before the Incubi could even think of responding, Taker attacked. With a few slices of his scythe, he quickly dispatched three of the incubi. When the fourth tried to attack him from behind, it was cut in two by a crescent shaped blade on a chain. When the chain was pulled back, the owner was revealed to be Kane.

The bodies and black blood evaporated into thin air. It was as if they had never been there at all. Taker turned to quirk an eyebrow at his little brother.

"Hey, I wanted some real action tonight…" Kane shrugged, which earned him a smirk from his older brother.

Matt came running into the locker room and, looking down at the now completely unconscious Jeff and Edge, he looked back up at Taker and Kane, who glared darkly back at him.

"I hope you're goddamned happy!" Taker snapped at Matt. "Not only did you nearly allow Jeff to get captured, but now you owe your brother's life to Edge!"

Matt stared at Taker opened mouthed. Could this whole situation get any worse…?

000

_"Phew" Thanks to Edge, Jeff dodged a bullet that time….But don't think Chiron will give up so easily…_


	17. The Ceiling

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

_**ANOTHER NOTE:**__ The idea for the nightmare scene involving the ceiling, was taken from "Nightmare on Elm Street." A scary, but great horror classic!_

000

Taker had a tough time explaining what had just happened to Jeff and Edge, to Cena and Batista. Fortunately, neither the champ nor the animal had seen the incubi, so Taker said that the guys who had abducted Jeff before had come after him again, and not to worry The Phenom would take care of everything.

Cena seemed satisfied with this answer, Batista on the other hand still looked suspicious that there was more to the matter, but chose not to pursue the subject further. Instead, they helped carry Jeff and Edge back to the hotel until the Undertaker shooed them away when they reached Matt's room.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you totally bullshit your way out of a situation, the "Edge" way," Kane said dryly. "Usually you just threaten their health and they shut up."

Taker rubbed his temples. "Yeah, and I suck at it. Batista looked like he didn't believe a word I said. God damn…we dodged bullet…"

"Yeah, no thanks to him…" Kane glared at Matt.

Matt remained quiet. He was feeling insanely guilty that he had left Jeff's side, even if he had been called to McMahon's office.

"Leave Matt alone," Taker said a little wearily, "Matt was only responsible for leaving Jeff with Batista and John. Jeff went back to the locker room of his own accord. Besides, Matt's about to be punished enough."

"Oh yeah?" Kane raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued about what punishment Taker had in store for Matt.

"Matt," The phenom looked over at the older Hardy, who gulped in return. "Since Edge interfered with Chiron's plan, he might be targeted as well. So you are to look after him as well."

Matt's eyes widened in shock. "Why am I the one who has to take care of him?!" he sputtered. "You know how much I hate him!"

A nerve finally snapped inside Taker, he was getting so frustrated with the Hardys' boldness to question him after all he had done to protect them. Frankly, he was at wit's end with the two brothers.

He grabbed Matt by the front of his shirt and yelled in his face, "Look, you irresponsible little brat! Like it or not he saved your brother's ass, you owe him one!"

"Okay, okay…" Matt held up his hands defensively. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be nice to him…"

Taker let go of Matt's shirt, calming down a little. "I don't expect you to, but you need to look after him."

"Yeah, yeah…I'll look after him," Matt grudgingly agreed. "I don't know what Jeff will say though..."

"He's not going to say anything, since he's more indebted to Edge than you are," Taker grumbled. "Now you look after them, Kane and I are going to go talk to Grim. I'll put a seal on the door so no one who means harm to you, Jeff, or Edge can get in."

Matt nodded. Just then Maria of all people rounded the corner.

"Matt, I heard something was wrong with Jeff." The diva looked very worried. Without even asking, she stepped into the room and ran over to the still unconscious Jeff. "What happened? Is he all right?"

"Maria…Now really isn't a good time…" Matt began, only to have Maria ignore him.

"Was it the cult? Are they after him again?"

The older Hardy's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know…?"

"Yes," Taker answered. "The cult came after Jeff again, one of their ritual dates is coming up. Edge helped us to save him this time. And that's all you need to know right now."

Maria nodded. "That's all I want to know right now."

"Wait a minute, you guys knew she knew? How does she know stuff?" Matt glanced back and forth between Maria and the Brothers of Destruction, looking very flustered over having been left out of the loop once again.

"Jeff admitted some information that he really shouldn't have," Kane grumbled. "Too late to do anything about it now."

"Maria, you and Matt watch over Jeff and Edge," Taker ordered. "Don't leave this room for the rest of the night, got it?"

Both Maria and Matt gulped and nodded.

"Good." And without another word Taker and Kane exited through the door, slamming it behind them.

"Is Edge really in that much danger?" Kane quirked an eyebrow at his brother.

"No, Chiron's not going to waste his time on that little jackass," Taker stated and smirked, "I just wanted to piss Matt and Jeff off, for giving me such a headache."

Kane laughed.

000

"How did you know what was going on with Jeff?" Matt asked.

"He told me kind of what was going on," Maria said as she began to gently stroke Jeff's hair. "That when he was kidnapped before it was by some cult. A cult that worshipped a demon. And now they're after him again?"

"That's about right," Matt nodded and thought to himself, _Except the demon is real…_

Matt sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to gently place his hand on Jeff's forehead. "I'm just glad he's all right," the older Hardy murmured and gently smoothed back Jeff's hair.

Maria nodded. They remained like that for several minutes, until Matt got so frustrated with himself, he couldn't stand it.

"Damn it…" Matt sighed, causing Maria to look up. "Kane was right; I shouldn't have left his side, not even for a moment, no matter what!"

"Why did you?" Maria asked carefully.

"McMahon called me to his office," the older Hardy admitted shamefully.

"Well, that's important too, you couldn't know when those guys would come after Jeff again," Maria said sympathetically.

_But I did know Jeff was in danger…_ Matt thought angrily to himself. "It doesn't matter; my career is not worth Jeff being in danger."

Maria looked down, unhappy that all her attempts to be comforting had been rebuffed.

Matt instantly felt guilty he had taken his frustrations verbally out on her. "I'm sorry, Maria." The older Hardy looked at her apologetically. "You've been so sweet to Jeff through all of this, and I for one am really grateful to you for keeping him happy."

The diva brightened a little. "Thank you, Matt, I'm glad I got the big brother approval."

Matt couldn't stop himself from laughing. "I don't know much that is worth, but Jeff tends to do what he wants whether I approve or not."

Maria giggled. "Still, it's nice to be accepted."

The elder Hardy laughed a little more until a heavy thought occurred to him, and he turned serious. "Aren't you scared of all of this?"

"Of course I am, I'm terrified," the diva admitted. "But I know Jeff needs me the most now, so I'm not going to run out on him."

Matt smiled. "I'm glad Jeff's found someone worthy of him."

As if on cue Jeff stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. "What's going on?" he mumbled drowsily.

"Jeff!"

The younger Hardy nearly had wind knocked out of him when both Maria and Matt hugged him at the same time.

"Are you all right?" Maria asked, her arms still wrapped securely around Jeff's neck.

The rainbow haired warrior was a little surprised by the enthusiastic greetings, but hugged them both back. "Yeah, I'm okay...except for this headache…"

After another minute, Matt slowly loosened his embrace, but still kept one arm wrapped around Jeff's shoulders. He bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry I left you alone like that...I didn't know Chiron was going to go to use incubi to come after you..."

Maria lifted her head off Jeff's shoulder, her interest piqued. This was a part of the story she had not heard. Chiron? Incubi?

Jeff patted Matt's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, I'm the one who ran off...stupid cell phone."

"Thanks," Matt smiled a little, before frowning. "I still can't believe that of all people that came to save you, it was Edge..."

Jeff stared at his brother in shock. "Edge saved me?" He paused and concentrated, trying to remember. "That's right… It was him…" He looked over at Edge on the other bed. "Well this is awkward…"

"Yeah…" Matt mumbled darkly, glaring over at Edge.

"Um…Excuse me…" Maria started, getting the Hardys' attention. "But who's Chiron? And what are incubi?"

The brothers sighed wearily.

"Maybe before we explain everything we ought to wake up Edge first," Jeff suggested.

"Why?" Matt did not sound happy with the idea in the least.

Jeff shrugged. "Like it or not he's involved with this now."

"Fine," The older Hardy got up and prodded Edge in the back. "Wakey-Wakey asshole."

Edge rolled over and mumbled still half asleep. "Five more minutes, Lita..."

That touched the biggest nerve. Jeff and Maria exchanged nervous glances as Matt took on the expression like steam would come out of his ears at any moment.

"Edge…" Matt leaned down and whispered right into the R-rated superstar's ear. "Why don't you…WAKE UP!!!"

The sudden yell was enough to jolt Edge awake. So much so, he tumbled off the other side of the bed.

"Ugh… What the hell happened to me?" The R-rated superstar sat up dizzily, before pulling himself back on to the bed.

"A demonic hangover," Matt answered dryly.

Edge nearly got whiplash as his head snapped around to face Matt. "What the hell?"

"I ought to ask you that question," Matt retorted.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, I don't know why I'm here or even how I got here," Edge insisted, shakily sliding off the bed and onto his feet. "I don't want any trouble so I'm just going to leave right now."

"You stay put!" Matt jumped to his feet and stormed toward the R-rated superstar. "I've got a few words to say to you, you son of a bitch!"

Edge gulped and had to use the wall to steady himself, the after effects of the venom hadn't quite worn off yet. However, after facing black beasts with gnashing teeth, he was not going to be intimidated by Matt Hardy.

"You're a wonderful person, Adam!" Matt yelled in Edge's face. "Despite the fact Jeff and I made no effort to hide our dislike for you, you still came out and saved him! I will forever be grateful to you for it! You are tops with me right now!"

Everyone remained silent after Matt finished. The older Hardy was panting and, looking flustered and serious, as if he had just gone through a huge rant.

Edge furrowed his brow in confusion. "If you were trying to tell me off, Matt, I think I may have missed it."

Matt rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated groan, before storming off to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Jeff sighed wearily as he realized he would have to explain the whole situation in detail by himself. It took almost a half an hour for the younger Hardy to get through all of the details, and when he was through Edge and Maria's eyes were as large as saucers.

"The demon is really real?" Maria whispered, breathless.

"Are they going to come after you again?" Edge asked a little nervously.

"Probably," Jeff said gravely. "He's only got two more days left to try and grab me before the window of opportunity has closed."

Both Maria and Edge paled at the thought of the incubi coming in through the hotel room window and attacking them again.

Jeff saw their frighten expressions and tried to brighten them up a bit. "Don't worry though; Taker said he put some sort of magical seal around the room to keep the incubi out."

The other two nodded, not looking very comforted.

"I think the best thing for us right now is to get some sleep," the younger Hardy assured them.

"How can you even think of sleeping at a time like this?" Edge protested.

Jeff shrugged. "What else am I going to do? If I'm going to fight this, I need to keep my energy level up."

Maria and Edge exchanged nervous glances, but nodded all the same. If Jeff, who was the main target in all of this, could relax enough to sleep, then maybe they could too.

000

Matt waited in the bathroom until the voices had completely died down. He simply couldn't stand being in the same room with Edge right now. The R-rated superstar was a constant slap in the face for Matt Hardy, a constant reminder of everything the elder Hardy had lost.

He lost a dear friend in Adam Copeland, he lost his beloved Lita, his girlfriend of six years, the woman he thought he might spend the rest of his life with; he lost his big push toward the WWE championship and for awhile lost his job with the WWE completely. At the same time Adam "Edge" Copeland had gained everything; Lita, his job, the championship, everything, even though it was he who committed the sin with Lita in the first place.

Matt hated the unfairness of it all more than Edge himself, but since Adam was the physical reminder of all of that, all of the hate was directed towards him.

But now after saving Jeff's life, it seemed like Adam was trying to take Matt's hate away from him as well.

The older Hardy got up and exited the bathroom to find everyone asleep. On one of the bed Maria was curled on her side with Jeff spooned in behind her. For once Jeff had a smile on his face while he slept.

Matt's gaze fell upon Edge. The R-rated superstar had apparently grabbed himself the extra pillows and blanket from the coat closet and made himself a make-shift bed on the floor

It took every ounce of Matt's self control to suppress the strong urge to give Edge swift kick for good measure, before going to sleep himself.

Instead, Matt just plopped down on his bed and pulled a pillow over his head, that way he would not have to look at the happy picture of Jeff and Maria. In truth, he envied them right now, wishing Ashley was lying next to him, in his arms.

Matt had no sooner shut his eyes when he heard a murderous pitched scream. He sat up in time to see Jeff thrown into a nearby wall. Before Matt even comprehend what was going on, some invisible force seemed to grab Jeff by his hair and, started dragging the young Hardy up the wall. Gashes suddenly appeared on Jeff's arms, leaving little trails of blood on the wall. All through this, even though Jeff was struggling to get free of whatever held him, his eyes remained closed, as if he were still asleep.

"Holy shit! What the hell is going on?!" Edge shouted as Jeff was being dragged across the ceiling.

While the boys looked on in shock Maria got up and ran from the room. She ran down the hotel hallways until she found the Undertaker's room.

"Taker! Taker! Open up please!!" she screamed, banging on the door.

"What is it, girl?" Taker opened the door and looked down at the hysterical diva.

"Jeff's on the ceiling …blood…lots of blood!" she gasped between terrified sobs and pants.

"Oh hell!" Taker took off toward Jeff's room, with Kane following closely behind.

Maria, lingered for a moment, trying to calm herself a little, before following after them. The door across from Taker and Kane's room opened to reveal John Cena and his roommate for the night, Randy Orton.

"What's going on out here?" Randy demanded. "What's with all the screaming?"

"Are you okay, Maria?" John asked gently, approaching her.

"No…" Maria shivered. "It's Jeff…he's in danger, something's attacking him, I went to get help."

"Which way is his room?" Randy asked.

Maria gulped and led them back toward the Hardys' room. Down the hallway they saw the door to the room next to the Hardys' open and Batista and Rey Mysterio came out. No doubt awakened by the screams coming from next door.

Batista poked his head into the Hardys' room, and took a few steps out, a shocked, almost horrified, expression etched across his face. Rey looked in as well and whispered something in Spanish, before crossing himself.

"Batista! Get your ass in here!" The Undertaker boomed from inside the room.

Batista responded automatically and ran back into the room, Rey following closely behind. John and Randy quickened their pace. If whatever was going on in there was enough to spook "The Animal", it must be really bad.

And it was…

Inside, The Undertaker, Kane, Matt, Edge, and now Batista and Rey were all trying to get Jeff down from the ceiling.

"Jesus Christ…" Randy stared open mouthed at the scene.

"Come on!" Cena pulled Randy into the room. "Let's help them out!"

Maria followed them slowly into the room, completely unnerved that her boyfriend was involved in a scene right out of Nightmare on Elm Street.

"Close the damn door!" Taker shouted.

Maria shakily nodded and did as she was told.

After a great deal of effort by the eight men, they managed to pull Jeff down from the ceiling and pinned him to the floor. Still, Jeff's body acted like a magnet wanting to connect with the metal ceiling. The poor rainbow haired warrior was cover with open gashes and scratches, blood streaming from all of them.

"Now, no matter what happens keep him on the floor!" Taker growled. The other men nodded nervously, but firmly.

Taker placed a hand on Jeff's forehead and concentrated. A few seconds, and he was back in the seventh layer of hell, or at least the nightmare illusion of it. Not far away he spotted the problem. Chiron.

The hell keeper had Jeff by his hair and was dragging the younger Hardy through the field of thorn bushes. Taker drew out his scythe and charged toward the demon.

Chiron had been so focused on Jeff that he did not notice Taker's approach until it was too late. The scythe came down and sliced across Chiron's chest. The hell keeper reeled and took a few steps back, glaring daggers at the phenom.

"You would do well not to involve yourself in this, reaper!" Chiron growled, his illusionary body starting to disintegrate as the nightmare began to end.

"I have every right to be involved in this!" Taker pulled Jeff to his feet; the younger Hardy was shaky and sobbing uncontrollably. "You're the one that has no right to do what you are doing to this kid!"

"I will succeed, and there is nothing you can do to stop me," the hell keeper said cryptically, before disappearing completely.

"Just try me, demon…" Taker hissed under his breath.

Meanwhile, in the real world, the other wrestlers were relieved when Jeff's overly tensed body finally relaxed. Still, they kept their hands on him to keep him pinned down, just in case.

Taker opened his eyes and nodded at the other wrestlers, indicating that it was okay to let Jeff go.

The rainbow-haired warrior's eyes snapped open, and he glanced around in alarm at all of the people surrounding him. He staggered to his feet, trying to back away, and he only stopped when he backed up into the wall.

When he realized it wasn't demons chasing him anymore, he sank to the ground and buried his head into his knees. He started to sob softly.

Maria went over to him and gently wrapped her arms around his head. "Your safe now, Jeff," she whispered. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She helped him to his feet and started toward the bathroom.

Batista was the first to find his voice. "Now would someone mind explaining what the hell just happened?"

"Kane, would you mind debriefing them?" Taker asked, as he started toward the bathroom as well.

"Why? What are you going to be doing?" Kane raised an eyebrow, not looking very happy at having the job of trying to explain all of this to the other guys.

"I want to see if Jeff heals on his own," Taker said plainly, before shutting the door behind him.

Maria looked up for a moment when she heard the door shut, but went back to focusing on Jeff when she saw who had entered. She already had the water running in the bath tub and was helping a shaky Jeff get his shirt off. They had to do it slowly and carefully, so as to not rub against the open gashes because there were some particularly nasty ones on his back.

After the shirt had been removed, Maria wetted a towel and rubbed soap over one side of it. "Jeff, this might hurt a bit."

Jeff just nodded in response as she carefully placed the wet towel over his back. He cringed a little in pain, which caused his body to tremble even more.

Maria carefully guided his head over to the faucet, where the warmer ran over his head, washing the blood from his hair.

Taker watched the scene from near the door, and felt the rare feeling of a chill run up and down his spine. He glanced back and forth between Maria and Jeff. Maria's hand on top of Jeff's head, Jeff's face only inches from the water, at any moment she could…

"Stop!" Taker suddenly blurted out.

Maria's head snapped around to look at him in alarm. "What? What's wrong?"

An image of a woman drowning a man by pushing his head underwater, flashed through Taker's mind. But it was not Jeff and Maria, where had it come from?

Taker shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong…"

Maria looked at him confusedly for moment, before turning her attention back to Jeff.

By this time Jeff had regained some of his sense and he looked up at Maria curiously. "Something wrong?" he asked wearily.

Maria glanced at Taker one more time, before answering. "No, nothing's wrong."

She dipped another towel into the water and lifted up Jeff's arm to clean the wounds there. But when the towel touched Jeff's arm, suddenly what looked like little black webs came out of the wounds, and seemed to pull the skin back together again.

"What the--?" Maria gasped.

"How is this happening?" Jeff shuddered, looking at the healing wounds on his other arm.

"Chiron's blood is still in your system, that's how he was able to both harm you physically in the dream, and now heal you here," Taker explained. "I thought this might happen. Since he is going to use your body, he needs it intact, when the time comes."

It was true; in the next few seconds the only indication that Jeff had gashes at all were the bloodstains outlining where the wounds had been and the black marks from the demonic blood that had healed the wounds. However, the black marks looked more like tattoos than scars.

"Great…" Jeff grumbled, "He healed me up, now he'll probably torture me again as soon as I go back to sleep."

There was a long pause, as Taker seemed to consider something. "You'll stay in our room for the next two nights, that way when Chiron comes back Kane and I can intervene, before the dream goes too far."

Jeff nodded, looking a little relieved.

Meanwhile, Kane had just finished explaining the situation to John, Randy, Batista, and Rey. All four men looked either shocked or confused or both.

"I guess that explains what happened earlier," Batista murmured.

"Yeah…" Rey crossed himself again. "Poor Jeff…"

"This is insane…" Randy paced the room nervously. "I mean if everything you're saying is true, then that means there really is a hell and gods and demons actually exist."

"Yup," Kane answered simply

"Randy," Edge pointed up to blood the ceiling. "How much more proof do you need? It's like Nightmare on Fucking Elm Street!"

"Is this a sign of the apocalypse?" Rey whispered.

"In a way, if we allow Chiron to escape into the mortal world through Jeff," Kane said plainly. He almost laughed at the pale expressions on the other men's faces. "It wouldn't be a complete destruction of humanity, just the ones Chiron considers violent and deserve to be imprisoned in the seventh layer. But with his black and white perception, that could leave the death toll in the millions by the time he could be apprehended."

"How do we stop him?" Cena gulped, but looked determined.

"By ensuring that Jeff does not get taken by him," Kane stated. "Chiron can't get into the mortal world without a mortal host. He can send his incubi, but they are relatively weak by comparison, after all Edge was able to hold them off with a chair before."

Everyone except Edge laughed at the R-rated superstar's expense, all of them looking for some way to ease the tension of the situation.

"Hey!" Edge snapped. "It's all thanks to me that Jeff isn't possessed right now!"

"I still can't believe that…" Cena snorted, the amusement still clearly heard in his voice.

"It's no joke," Matt suddenly spoke up from his place by the bathroom door. "He saved my brother's life, so lay off."

The other guys all looked at Matt like he had three heads. The fact that the older Hardy was sticking up for his worst nemesis had them all bewildered. Matt refused to look at any of them.

Just then the bathroom door opened and Taker stepped out, followed by Jeff and Maria.

"Jeff, are you going to be all right?" Matt asked. He noticed the black stripes on Jeff's body where the gashes used to be. "What are those?"

"Chiron's calling card I think," Jeff sighed. "Like the symbol on my stomach."

"So what do we do from here?" Batista asked.

"Sunday is the last day of the window period, which means Chiron's minions will come after him and use every trick in the book to try and get at him." Taker glared at the other wrestlers intently. "Since most of you are involved in the main event at the Great American Bash, can we count on you to help keep an eye on Jeff before, during, and after the match?"

The others nodded.

"Good," The phenom looked over at Jeff and motioned for the younger Hardy to gather up his things for the move. "In the meantime, Jeff will be staying with Kane and I for the next two days. As for the rest of you, get some sleep. You're going to need it."

"Um…Taker…" Edge started carefully, "Is there any chance that some of that demon's cronies could come after anyone of us because we're involved?"

Everyone's attention turned toward Taker, all of them nervous that they might suffer the same fate as Jeff.

Taker shrugged. "It's unlikely, but not impossible, so I wouldn't walk around alone if I were you."

Everyone gulped at the ominous message, while Taker looked over at Jeff and motioned for him to follow.

The younger Hardy shouldered his duffel bag and obediently followed Taker and Kane out the hotel room door, leaving the other wrestlers to their own devices. They were lucky, the rest of them did not have a demon waiting for them the moment they shut their eyes…

000

_Poor Jeff… Chiron is really giving him a hard time. Hopefully now that Cena, Batista, Randy, and Rey are involved they can help protect Jeff at the Great American Bash. _

_However the real question is, what was that strange flashback Taker had in the bathroom….?_


	18. The Memory

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE: **__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

The Undertaker stared pensively out the hotel room window. With everything on his mind, sleep was nearly impossible for him. Kane and Jeff on the other hand were sleeping like a couple of logs.

Taker was currently going over all of the possible scenarios for when Chiron's minions would come after Jeff again. He looked over at the clock; it was two in the morning of the final day. They had managed to keep Jeff safe the entirety of Saturday, mainly because the rainbow-haired warrior had not strayed from the room all day, and spent most of it catching up on some sleep. Not surprising, the near capture followed by the terrifying nightmare on Friday, had tired the young Hardy out.

Now it was the early hours of Sunday, in a little over twenty-four hours when the sun came up on Monday morning, the window period for the Seventh Gate would be closed and the danger of Chiron entering the mortal world would be gone

However, a lot could happen in twenty-four hours, and that is what made the Undertaker exceedingly on edge. The highly populated arena for the Great American Bash was the perfect place for Chiron's minions to snatch Jeff. In a way, because of that he was glad that Batista, Cena, Randy, Rey and Edge were now in on it. Even though the first four didn't really understand what was going on, they knew Jeff was in danger and would keep their eyes on him.

The phenom was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Jeff moaning. The young Hardy twitched helplessly in his sleep, making soft sounds of protest and pain.

Was Chiron on the attack again…?

000

When Jeff entered his brother's house, he immediately knew something was horribly wrong. For one thing, what was he doing in Matt's house? Wasn't he supposed to be in California for the Great American Bash?

He gazed up the stairwell and saw what looked like snow, blowing across the top of the stairs. He let out a nervous breath and the air lingered in front of his face. Strangely enough, he did not actually feel cold. Steeling himself, he ran up the stairs, calling for his brother. Full blown terror began to rise in his veins with each step and no answer from Matt.

When he reached the top of the stairs, the floor was covered in snow, with the excess blowing about the hallway by a sourceless wind. As he looked closer, the flakes seemed more like ashes than snow. Jeff dashed down the hallway toward Matt's room. He threw the door open and gazed upon a vision of his greatest nightmare. In the middle of the room was a tall spinning pillar, and strung up upon it by thorny branches and chains, were Matt and Maria.

Jeff could only stare in paralyzing horror at the sight of his loved ones, dead and mutilated, spinning around on the rotating pillar like a grotesque merry-go-round. Finally Jeff snapped out of his horrified stupor and screamed, backing out of the room and, slamming the door shut.

He turned around to run away, but ran directly into the Undertaker. Blind from his terror Jeff pushed Taker away and backed up into a near-by wall, looking like he did not know whether to panic or scream.

"Jeff, calm down it's me, Taker," the phenom said calmly. "I'm just here to help you."

"How do I know that?!" Jeff cried hysterically, pressing himself even more against the wall. "You're one of them! You could be all a part of this game!"

Taker frowned darkly and slapped Jeff across the face. "Don't you ever doubt my commitment to protecting you!"

"I'm sorry," Jeff whispered, panting, the strike seemed to have snapped the young Hardy out of his panicked state. "I know you are. Just….what the hell was that? Is Chiron here?"

"No, this nightmare is a manifestation of your own mind," Taker stated. "We're not in the seventh layer of hell, so Chiron is not present."

"Great…" Jeff groaned, this wasn't even over yet and already he was having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. "Um... Taker?"

"What?"

"Were you really a hell keeper?" he asked carefully.

Taker paused, debating on whether or not to reveal to Jeff the truth. He figured that after all of this, Jeff had a right to know. He took in a deep breath and confessed. "Yes…"

"How? You're not that bad of a guy," Jeff looked genuinely confused. "I mean not evil, you only dish out an ass whooping to people who deserve it."

"Maybe not in this life," Taker said gravely. "The same can't be said for a past life."

"A past life?" Jeff's eyes widened in surprise.

Suddenly the scenery around them began to change. Instead of Matt's house they were inside a dark dungeon. Jeff jumped cleanly off his feet when a terrible scream erupted down the hallway.

"Welcome to Europe, early middle ages," Taker waved his hand at the landscape before them.

"What is this? How are we here?" Jeff looked around, his heart pounding.

"It's a memory," the phenom said solemnly. He took Jeff's arm and pulled him along the hallway toward the scream. "Remember my Lord of Darkness gimmick?"

Jeff nodded as Taker led him into a room where several people were gathered. In the middle of the room there was woman being stretched the infamous torture device known as "the rack." It was a particularly slow and painful torture where someone's body was slowly pulled apart.

"Well it wasn't too far from the truth," Taker motioned to the torturers.

Almost immediately Jeff recognized the headman dressed in full regalia. He looked exactly like The Undertaker, except his hair was black like a raven's wing, instead of a rusty brown like the phenom had. Also there was something crueler in the double's eyes

"Is that you?" Jeff looked between Taker and his dark haired look alike.

"_Was_ me," Taker corrected. "Known for my particularly extreme brutality."

"Yeah?" Jeff looked at him nervously, not sure if he wanted to hear the gory details.

"Any normal feudal lord trying to get information from someone would simply have them tortured until they confessed," Taker explained, some disgust readily evident in his dark voice. "However, my former self had a different method. Instead of torturing the person he wanted the information from, he tortured that person's loved one; their wife, their brother, their sister, even their…" He swallowed hard. "…child."

Jeff's mouth fell open in shock. Taker looked away from the younger Hardy, as if ashamed that he had once been this person.

"He applied these same methods to when he conquered cities," Taker growled. "He created hell on earth wherever he went. And that's why he was punished the way he was when he died."

"He was made a hell keeper," Jeff said. "Why? How is that a punishment?"

"Who better to guard the souls of the violent, then he who was a master of violence and torture?" The phenom pointed out to him. "And yes it is a punishment, the keeper feels the pain of the souls he is torturing all of the time. Constant pain and his sentence is much longer than the average soul's."

"How long was your sentence?" Jeff queried.

"I was a hell keeper from the time I died in 465 A.D. to when I was reborn in 1965," Taker stated.

"1,500 years?" Jeff sputtered in disbelief at first, but then another scream erupted from the rack as the woman's shoulders were dislocated. The young Hardy turned away and put his hands over his ears. "You deserved it…"

"I did…" Taker nodded. "And I served my full term. You understand the wrong doing you have done when you have experienced your victim's pain first hand."

Jeff just nodded, gulping a little.

"I served my sentence well and made a full repentance. I rehabilitated many souls to full purity including my own," Taker explained. "That's why I was allowed to be reborn, but some hell keepers can't take it, and instead they try to escape when they have the chance."

"Like Chiron…" Jeff whispered, still looking away. It was all becoming clear now.

"Exactly."

"Okay, can we leave here?" Jeff said quietly. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Taker nodded and the scene changed, they were in a house again. No torture, no screaming.

Jeff uncovered his ears and looked around. It took him only a second to realize, though they were in a house it was not Matt's house, where they had started. He turned to ask Taker where they were, but stopped when he saw the phenom looked equally perplexed at the new surroundings.

Suddenly they heard voices outside; Taker ran to the window and looked out.

"Taker, what's going on?" Jeff asked. He had rarely seen such alarm on the phenom's face before, which in turn put the young Hardy on edge.

However, instead of answering, Taker abruptly opened the window and jumped out of it. Jeff stared in shock for a moment, and automatically followed. He didn't realize he had just jumped out a window until he landed softly on the ground. He spotted Taker, standing not far off, and jogged over to him.

Taker was staring intently at two children a short distance away. The older one of the two, who looked about thirteen, was up in a tree trying to get a kite out of the branches, the younger one who looked the age of eleven was yelling at him to come down.

"Mark, come down! Momma said not to do that, you'll get in trouble!" the younger boy cried to his older brother.

Mark carefully balanced himself on the branch that hung precariously above a black berry bush and cautiously inched toward the kite. "Calm down, Kane! I'm almost there."

"You'll hurt yourself!" Kane shouted up worriedly. "I hear breaking sounds!"

Mark ignored his little brother's pleas and climbing out a little farther, he managed to grab the kite. "Got it!" At that moment the branch broke and Mark fell into the blackberry bush below.

Jeff watched Taker visibly wince at the sight.

"I remember that was pretty painful," the phenom said in a grim voice.

"That's you and Kane…?" Jeff said a little breathless at the realization, that he was witnessing one of Taker's childhood memories.

Kane ran over and helped his brother carefully work his way out of the blackberry bushes. Finally Mark pulled himself out. He was covered in bloody scratches and gashes.

"You okay?" Kane fussed over his older brother, looking very upset.

Mark was shaky and panting, but calm. "I'm fine, come on let's go inside. I need to wash these out before Mom sees."

Kane nodded and looked back at the blackberry bushes. Surprisingly enough, the kite was lying on the ground undamaged. Apparently when Mark had fallen, he let go of the kite, allowing it to float free, and avoid the black berry bushes.

Kane ran over to it and picked it up, before running back to Mark and, hugging him around the waist. "Thanks, big brother…I can always count on you…"

Mark smiled a little and patted his little brother on the head. "Meh, it's what big brothers do."

With that he walked back towards the house with Kane following closely behind.

Jeff looked at the two kids then back at Taker. "This is a childhood memory of yours? After your rebirth I mean."

"Yes," Taker answered distantly, starting to follow the boys inside. "Strange, I had forgotten it until now…"

The Phenom and the younger Hardy followed the two brothers inside the house and up to the bathroom. Mark turned on the water in the bathtub and started cleaning up some of the gashes on his arms; meanwhile Kane put some soap on a wash cloth and started cleaning the scratches on Mark's back.

"Boy Mom is going to be mad," Kane said looking at some of the gashes that had yet to be washed.

Mark winced a little as the soaped up wash cloth was placed on the open wounds on his back. "Yeah...but not if she doesn't find out. The scratches are shallow, they look worse than they actually are. If I wear a long sleeved shirt, I should be okay..."

"I thought all of your long sleeved shirts were in the laundry..." Kane said worriedly.

Mark gritted his teeth in annoyance. "I'll pull one out and wash it myself."

"You better do it soon before she comes in."

As if on cue, Suzanna Calaway walked in on the boys. Some of Mark's wounds had yet to be cleaned up. The woman's even face suddenly became enraged, and she yelled at the top of her lungs, with most of the force directed at Mark. "You were climbing those trees again weren't you!? I told you not too!"

Mark automatically got to his feet and back into a nearby wall. "I'm sorry, Mom… I was just… just trying to get Kane's kite down... it's not my fault the branch broke."

The mother seemed to have gone deaf to her eldest son's words. Her only answer was delivering a hard slap across Mark's face. It was enough to cause the boy's already shaky body to collapse to the ground and curl up into a defensive position in the corner. He knew what was coming…

"You're a naughty boy!" She hit him again. "You always were! Always causing me grief!" And again. "Never listening to me!" And again.

"Momma! Please stop!" Kane cried, grabbing on to his mother's arm to stop her from hitting his big brother again.

Automatically, Suszanna knocked Kane away in order to free her arm, not realizing what she was doing in the moment. Kane started crying.

Suzanna looked at Kane in shock for a moment. She turned back to Mark, shouting, "Now look what you did!"

She went over to Kane, and when she reached her younger son, her demeanor had completely changed from an enraged banshee, to the picture of a loving mother.

"Are you all right, Sweetie?" she cooed sweetly, hugging him.

Mark remained quiet in the corner while Kane ran out of the bathroom, crying his eyes out and, their mom running after him to try and comfort him.

After a few moments, Mark uncurled himself from the corner and went back over to the bath tub to finish cleaning his wounds. He responded to this incident with calm and purpose like it had happened many times before.

A few minutes later, to Mark's terror, his mother had come back in, smiling a little, looking as if she had just had a good cry herself. She knelt down next to Mark and gently petted his hair, like a real loving mother would. Mark remained tense and apprehensive, fearing that at any moment, the gentle caressing on his head would turn into a slap.

However, no strike came; instead, his mother helped him clean the rest of his wounds with one hand, while the other remained on his head, stroking his hair.

She picked up a sponge and gently cleaned one of the gashes on Mark's shoulder. "I don't know what came over me before. You know I would never mean to hurt you."

Mark, still frightened, shook his head.

"I'm sorry, dear." She continued to gently stroke his hair.

"I forgive you," Mark said shakily.

They continued this way for a few more minutes and just as Mark began to let his guard down, the grip his mother had on his hair tightened. With a sudden burst of strength she pushed his head under the water.

Jeff watched in complete horror. A mother trying to kill her son? It was an inconceivable concept to him. Right up until the day she died, his own mother always made him feel like he was loved and cherished.

After a while all of Mark's struggles ceased. She held his head underwater for a few more seconds as if to be sure he was dead, before letting go of his hair. Her eyes were wide and her face completely blank as she stood up and exited the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I'd forgotten…My second death…" Taker said his eyes still on his fallen self.

Jeff looked back and forth between Taker and the dead Mark. "But if that happened… How can you be here…?"

Taker blinked and turned back to Jeff. "I was given one last chance… Like any other soul, a reborn soul is planted completely at random; the randomness keeps the tiding of nature and fate in balance. I don't think it occurred to them that the life card I had been dealt for my second chance would be such a bad one."

"So what happened? Does this have to do with you becoming a reaper?" Jeff asked carefully.

"It has everything to do with it," Taker replied remotely. "Reapers are not born, they are made. Sometimes someone's life card is so bad that they are given another chance. Only if the Grim deems it so…"

Just then the water around Mark turned black and took shape. A mound began to rise out of the tub and take shape into the dark robed figure of the Grim. The angel of death reached out a skeletal hand covered with a thin, almost transparent skin and lifted up Mark's head out of the water. _**"Open your eyes child…"**_ the echoing voice of the Grim reverberated through the bathroom.

Mark's eyes slowly opened and widened at the sight of the Grim before him.

"_**Dear child, your card in life has been dealt harshly twice over, because of this I will give you one last chance."**_

"What chance?" Mark whispered.

"_**Become one of my reapers, serve me and you will have another chance at life," **_the Grim explained his terms._** "You will have the power to collect souls and bring them to limbo if need be, you will have knowledge of the afterlife that no other mortal has, and you cannot be killed unless by another being from beyond. As long as you follow my rules, you will be allowed to lead a better life. Do you want this chance, or to you wish to pass on into death?"**_

"I want the chance…" the young man rasped. Even though his life had not been the happiest one, he still wanted a chance. The Grim nodded and placed a hand on Mark's back, causing the young Calaway to cough up all of the water in his lungs.

"Now go; there are souls for you to collect in the other room…"

"Wha—What?" Mark coughed.

"Unable to bear what she did to you, you mother has set fire to the house to cloak her sin…"

Alarmed Mark staggered to his feet and ran out of the bathroom. Sure enough, the rest of the house was an inferno. He ran into the living room and saw the bodies of both his mother and father lying on the floor dead. It looked like his mother had stabbed his father with a steak knife, obviously he had found out what she'd done and she killed him in a state of panic.

Mark felt strangely detached from the two people, lying there on the floor, as if they were not his parents at all. Still, he knelt down next to them and placed a hand on his father's bloody chest.

"Maybe if you'd protected me more from her, I'd feel more sorry you," Mark said coldly.

Just then Kane ran down the hallway in a panic, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Mark kneeling beside his parents' bodies with bloody hands and fire all around him.

"You…Brother…you did this…?!" the younger boy stammered in horror.

"Kane…" Mark began, but his little brother cut him off.

"Stay away! I hate you!" Kane took off, running toward the front door.

Mark ran after him, but lost track of which way he had gone in the night outside. The elder Calaway looked back at the burning house, at that moment he thought his past was being reduced to ashes and he could start anew, too bad he did not know yet such memories would never die.

"So that's what happened…" Jeff breathed, still completely overwhelmed by what he just saw.

"Yes…Kane thought I was responsible," Taker said despondently. "He was so traumatized by what he'd seen, when he got picked up he was thrown into a mental institution, until his real father Paul Bearer came and got him out. I didn't even know what had happened, until Kane became a reaper."

"How did that happen?" Jeff asked quietly.

"He overdosed on his pills," Taker swallowed a lump in his throat, his voice becoming less even and more wavering. He took a shaky breath. "I should have looked for him… Made sure he was all right… I'm his older brother damn it! I'm supposed to look out for him! He didn't even have a chance!"

"Taker…Mark…" Jeff said quietly. He had never ever seen the phenom like this before, Taker was almost vulnerable.

The young Hardy reached out to comfort his comrade and for the last few weeks his guardian angel, but his hand went right through. At the same time the scenery around him began to fade into blackness…

000

Jeff woke up just in time to see Taker run into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. The slam was enough to rouse Kane.

"What's going on?!" Kane woke up with a start.

"Taker's upset," Jeff said as he went over to the bathroom door.

It was the first time Jeff had seen an alarmed look on Kane's face since May 19, 2004, the day Taker had made his return to the WWE after Kane had "buried him alive."

"What happened?" Kane came over to the bathroom door.

"Well, Taker came into one of my dreams to see if Chiron was there," Jeff explained quickly, hoping Kane wouldn't turn any anger upon him. "And then some how we ended up in one of his memories."

"Which memory?!" Kane demanded.

"One from your childhood, when Taker fell into the blackberry bush," Jeff gulped.

Kane's faced paled and he knocked on the door. "Mark! Mark, are you alright?"

When there was no response Kane pressed his ear to the door. Jeff watched as the Big Red Machine's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked, becoming frightened.

"He's… crying…" Kane whispered. "What do I do?"

"What do you mean?" Jeff whispered back.

"What do you do when your big brother is crying in your bathroom?" Kane hissed with more urgency.

"I don't know, Matt's never cried in my bathroom…" Jeff looked at him helplessly.

Kane growled in frustration. After a pause Jeff murmured quietly. "Though I have seen him cry before. The best thing to do is just… comfort him."

"Comfort him?" Kane looked at the young Hardy as if he were crazy. "How the hell am I supposed to do that? I don't comfort people... I don't... I don't even know how..."

Jeff sighed. "Let him know you're here, you forgive him, and that everything's all right…"

Kane took a deep breath and opened the door. He walked in to find Taker slumped against the wall, his shoulders shaking. His head was bowed so his long hair completely covered his face.

"What do you want, Kane?" Taker murmured shakily.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," Kane grunted, the words of comfort rolling of his tongue like a foreign language.

"I'm fine..."

"No you're not!" Kane blurted out. "You've been crying, and I've never see you cry before."

"I said I'm fine! Now leave!" Taker snapped, not even lifting his head.

"No!" Kane shouted back. "Not until I know you've forgiven yourself!"

Taker remained silent for a moment, before speaking, his voice becoming shaky again. "I'm not sure I have..."

Kane hesitantly reached out a hand and placed it on top of Taker's head. "If I can forgive you, I think you can forgive yourself." When his brother did not seem satisfied, Kane took a deep breath and continued. "Look… You may have been my brother, but Paul was my father, and he left me there to rot as well. He only came for me so he could use me for revenge against you... At least you didn't do that... use me for your own ends, that is..."

Taker still didn't look up, but replied none the less. "I guess that's one good thing I did…" he said dryly.

"More than that, you welcomed me into your family, entrusted me a few times to look after Chasey and Gracie," Kane's voice softened a little when he spoke of Taker's two adorable daughters. "That trust meant a lot to me."

Taker finally looked up and managed to smile a little. "I guess you are right... I guess I can forgive myself..."

"Good, now stop whimpering, it's creepy..." Kane smirked.

Taker chuckled a little. "Yeah you're right."

Jeff grinned as he tiptoed back to his bed. It turned out the brothers of destruction were not so different from the Hardy brothers after all. The younger Hardy shut his eyes and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

For now…


	19. The Capture

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000 

It was the night of the Great America Bash.

Jeff tapped his foot nervously, while he shoveled another handful of skittles into his mouth. He was on his third bag of the sweet candy, sure the sugar was going to make him hyper, but at the same time the sweet taste of the candy was helping to calm his anxious nerves.

To be honest he was terrified of what may happen that night. This was the last night for Chiron to come after him before the window period for the Seventh Layer of hell to be open. Now it was not a matter of if Chiron's minions will come after him, but when. After his last experience with the incubi, Jeff did not want to end up in their grasp; he didn't want his body to become a vehicle for some demon.

Maria was on his right, holding his hand, while Matt was on his left, reminding him every thirty seconds that when the sun rose this nightmare would finally be over. Shannon Moore was sitting next to Matt, looking ready to beat up anyone who even looked at Jeff funny. Matt hadn't told the Prince of Punk the full details, just that some guys were after Jeff and he needed some protection.

It was some comfort to Jeff that there were others, looking after him as well. There were Undertaker and Kane of course, but he also had Batista, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Randy Orton, and John Cena, watching his back. Even though the other men didn't quite understand or believe what was going on, they knew one of their fellow wrestlers was in trouble, so they would step up to protect him.

Jeff breathed a small sigh of relief at that thought. He saw Matt glance up at the clock. It was time for their match. Jeff stood up and Maria gave him a kiss on the cheek for good luck.

The two brothers walked side by side to the entrance tunnel where their fellow competitors were waiting as well. Taker came over to them.

"Remember, Jeff, always stay where we can see you," Taker said in a low voice.

Jeff nodded. A few seconds later, Rated-RKO's theme music hit and Randy and Edge headed out into the arena. Kane went out after them, with the Hardys going out next. Jeff took in deep breath as their theme music came on and after a light push from Matt, he ran out into the arena.

The cheers from the crowd might have been more of a comfort to Jeff if he hadn't had the nagging fear in the back of his mind that one of those fans could be an incubus in disguise.

Jeff's heart was pounding the entire time he waited in the ring, while Batista, Cena and finally The Undertaker made their entrances.

However, when everyone arrived in the ring, they realized there were no refs in the ring. Just as everyone began to wonder what was going on, the crowd went wild as DX's music hit. Sure enough, Triple H and Shawn Michaels came down the entrance ramp, dressed in referee uniforms with big green DX letters spray painted across the back and front.

The two picked up a couple of mics and got into the ring.

"All right now listen up!" Shawn Michaels started on the mic.

"We don't care who you are," Triple H continued. "We don't care if you're the The Champ, The Animal, The Legend Killer, or The R-rated Superstar, or The Big Red Machine, or Team Extreme or The Phenom, Deadman, Big Evil, American Badass, Lord of Darkness, and The--"

Triple H stopped when he pretended to forget Taker's last and most obvious title, "The Undertaker."

"What's his other name?" Hunter scratched his head in over exaggerated confusion.

"I know he's got one more," Shawn scratched his head as well.

The audience quickly got the joke and were all laughing. Meanwhile, Taker's eyes rolled back into his head for a moment, before he stepped into the ring and grabbed Shawn's wrist with the microphone in it.

"Undertaker," that was all the dead man said in a dark voice, before calmly heading back to his corner.

"That's it, I knew we were missing one," Triple H chuckled along with HBK. "He has more names than me."

"Now where were we? Oh yeah," Shawn got back on the mic. "If you guys don't like our rules…"

"Then we've got two words for you," Hunter jumped back in on their famous catchphrase, and the audience joined along.

"SUCK IT!"

000

Jeff leaned on the turnbuckle to catch his breath. He looked out and saw the large brawl outside the ring was still going on. Kane had just thrown John Cena into the steel steps, Matt had bashed Randy's head into the guard rail, and J.R. and Jerry Lawler had scrambled to get out of the way of Batista and Taker, going at it near the announcer table.

On top of that it seemed that neither Triple H nor HBK had a mind to put a stop to it as long as no one tried to run away, or grabbed a weapon from under the ring. In other words, the refs were enjoying the brawl as much as the audience was.

Shawn was in the ring with Jeff and Edge who actually the legal men in, only they could make the pin on each other for the win.

As much as he disliked Edge, the young Hardy was tempted to just take the fall and let him win. Then the match and the night would be over. Jeff was so exhausted going through this ordeal, he wanted nothing more than to go back to the hotel and hide in Taker and Kane's room so he could be protected from Chiron by them and sleep until the sun came up.

However, what he decided didn't matter as Edge took advantage of Jeff stalling to catch his breath, and as soon as the younger Hardy turned around, he was speared by the R-rated Superstar, and sent crashing to the ground.

When Jeff opened his eyes he gazed in horror at the sight over Edge's shoulder. There stood Chiron and his incubi, bearing down on him. Jeff screamed and pushed Edge off him. He ran to the other end of the ring in terror, stopping only when he hit the turnbuckle. The impact was enough to knock him out of his panicked state for the moment. He turned around and saw that Chiron and his incubi were no longer there. Had it been a hallucination?

He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision of sweat and panic. Someone was slowly walking toward him, it looked like Edge, but the shape kept shifting and, blurring. It became Chiron again. It reached out to him. Now Jeff was trapped in a corner with no where to go. Instead of panic he felt anger; he wasn't going to be a victim anymore. He charged toward Chiron and speared the demon just as Edge had done to him only minutes before.

However, when they hit the ground, Chiron seemed to turn into Edge. Just as Jeff realized his mistake, his wrestling instincts took over and he covered Edge for a pin. Shawn got down to do the three count. Just as HBK's fist hit the canvas or the third time, the whole arena went black.

The Undertaker felt his blood run cold as the lights suddenly went out. At first the audience cheered, until they remembered that the Undertaker was already at ringside. The cheers became silent, rising to a buzz of curious whispers as to what was happening.

Taker found the ring apron in the darkness and climbed into the ring just as the lights came on. Jeff and Edge were and Michaels was laid out unconscious in the middle of the ring.

"Shawn! Shawn!" Taker shook Michaels until he opened his eyes. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," The Heartbreak kid answered groggily, while he rubbed his aching head. "It came from behind. I was down before I even knew there was a struggle."

At that moment, Matt climbed into the ring. "What's happened? Where's Jeff?"

Taker felt his words catch in his throat, how could he tell Matt that Chiron had stolen his little brother right out from under their noses?

000

Edge woke up to the cold feel of stone below his body. He opened his eyes and saw he was lying on the floor at the foot of some stairs leading up to an alter, in a room where everything was made of stone. To his left and right were hooded figures, staring intently at the altar, chanting in voices that sounded eerily like the ones the incubi had before. He looked on in terror as five of the incubi placed Jeff carefully on the altar.

One of the incubi raised his arms toward the large metal door in front of them and yelled in his mysterious language at the door. Pulling out a dagger from his robe, he raised Jeff's hand. Edge winced a little inwardly as the incubi ran the dagger across Jeff's palm. The young Hardy's blood flowed readily forth.

The incubi called out another incantation and slowly Jeff sat up. However, even though his eyes were open, Jeff didn't seem awake, like he was in a trance. He slid off the altar and robotically made his way toward the door. He raised his bloodied hand and placed it on the door.

On impulse Edge jumped to his feet and dashed up the stairs. He jumped up on to the altar and leaped toward Jeff. Grabbing the back of the younger Hardy's shirt, he jerked him away from the door. They both hit the floor hard and it seemed to be enough to snap Jeff out of his trance.

"What the hell?" the younger Hardy rasped, shaking his head to clear it.

"That's just about where you were going!" Edge snapped, more out of anxiousness than anger.

"Huh?" Jeff looked up at the door in front of him; the door was covered in intricate carvings of demons and symbols that matched Chiron's tattoo on Jeff's abdomen. His heart leapt into his throat from fear. "A Seventh Gate… Ow," Jeff looked down at his cut up hand. "What happened to my hand?"

"Them."

Both Edge and Jeff jumped to their feet and spun to face the incubi behind them. However the dark robed creatures made no move to approach them.

"Now what…?" Jeff hissed to Edge.

"I don't know, I didn't think that far ahead…" The R-rated superstar hissed back.

"My kingdom for a ladder…" Jeff muttered under his breath, taking a few steps back.

"Careful!" Edge panicked. "Don't get too close to the door!"

Jeff turned and looked at the door. He could see the small stain of blood his hand left before. Then to their horror, the blood stain seemed to be absorbed into the door, until it was gone completely.

Suddenly, one of the symbols began to glow and the demon sculpture came alive. It reached out and grabbed Jeff's arm, pulling him toward the door. The young Hardy dug in and tried to get his arm free from the demon's grasp, but to no avail. Edge grabbed Jeff's other arm in an attempt to pull Jeff free, but More hands reach out from the door and jerked Jeff away, slamming him into the door.

Edge could do nothing else, but watch in horror as the door, like metallic quicksand pulled Jeff Hardy completely into its dark clutches…

000

_Oh dear Chiron finally got his hands on poor Jeff… Can Taker and the others possibly save him…? On top of that poor Edge finds himself in a rough spot as well…._


	20. The Demon

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Kane stopped the Chevy pick-up truck in front of the large stone church. He and Taker got out of the driver's cab and went around to the back, uncovering several black boxes, shaped somewhat liked coffins.

Behind them a white limo pulled up. The other wrestlers who were involved in the Jeff Hardy situation, had agreed to come along and help Taker and Kane if they could. Triple H and HBK stepped out of the front seat. No doubt the limo belonged to Vince McMahon and Hunter was just "borrowing" it.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Hunter looked up curiously at the church.

"Yes," Taker answered simply, pulling out his scythe.

"But this is a house of God," Shawn protested. "How can a gate to hell be here?"

"Sometimes God needs help controlling escaped spirits," Kane explained, with a smirk. "Who better to capture an evil spirit than a demon?"

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Matt shouted. He was about to head into the church when Taker caught his arm and stopped him.

"Who said you were going in?"

"My brother's in there I have to help him," Matt struggled to get his arm free.

"You're a liability, Matt!" Taker growled.

"A liability?"

"When we go in there and it's too late, what's left will look like Jeff but it won't be Jeff," The Phenom said warningly. "If it is too late and Chiron has taken over Jeff's body and expelled his soul, then he'll have to be destroyed. I can't risk having you try to be a hero for him and get in the way of what needs to be done!"

The older Hardy stopped his struggles and swallowed hard. He looked down at the ground. "I want to help my brother." He looked back up at Taker, a determined expression on his face. "And if that means killing him so he'll be at peace, then…so be it…"

Taker nodded and let go of Matt's arm.

"One thing I'm beginning to wonder is how the hell you expect us fight off demons?" Randy questioned Taker suspiciously.

"You won't be fighting the demon," Taker corrected calmly, "You'll be fighting the demon's incubi."

Kane opened one of the boxes in the back of the truck. It was filled with black stone spires. Kane picked one up and held it out to Orton.

"Just stab one with this and he'll turn into a pile of ashes." A crooked smirk crossed the Big Red Machine's face.

Randy flinched a little when Kane dropped the spire into his hand. Orton expected it to be burning hot, but instead it was cool. "Um… yeah… So what do these incubi things look like?"

"You'll know when you see them," Taker said, as he grabbed another one of the boxes out of the truck.

Meanwhile, the other wrestlers reached in to the first box and armed themselves with the black spikes. Taker opened the second box, pulling out his scythe, while Kane opened a third box and pulled out a chain with a hook on one end and an axe on the other.

"How come we don't get cool weapons like that?" Cena motioned to the scythe.

"'Cause you idiots might kill each other by accident," Kane scoffed. "Those spikes are pointy enough."

"What kind of stone is this?" Umaga asked while he and Khali examined their spires.

"Flint, tempered with brimstone," Taker answered shortly. "Sure to kill any incubi at the first touch."

"Are we done yet? Can we go now?!" Matt urged them. He was becoming more and more anxious by the minute.

Suddenly a beam of light shot out from the roof of the church, striking the clouds and making them swirl in a spiral above. The sky crackled and buckets of hail rained down upon them.

"What the hell was that?" Shannon Moore stared disbelievingly up at the sky.

Taker growled. "Hell itself…"

000

Edge felt his heart jump into his throat when all of the symbols on the great door lit up almost blindingly. With a loud creak, the door began to open and the bright light flooded the room.

There was a dark spot against the light as something walked toward them. As the figure stepped past the threshold the door closed behind him. Edge could finally see the demon's face. It was Jeff, and yet it was not. The demon kept Jeff's face and his dyed purple braids tied up into a topknot on his head. However the similarities ended there. He wore a sleeveless coat with a high neck made of shiny black leather that stretched down to his ankles. Bands of the same fabric wrapped around his arms so they looked almost like Jeff's arm stockings. His skin was now so ghostly pale that one could see vessels full of demonic black blood flowing beneath the surface, winding their way across his whole body, giving his lips a tinge of black. Eyes that once shone like pristine emeralds were now red like the waters of Phelegathon.

Now it was not Jeff anymore, it was Chiron.

Edge gulped and took a few nervous steps back. "J—Jeff…?"

Chiron leveled the R-rated Superstar with a cold hard stare. "I am not that mortal of whom you speak," the demon answered in Jeff's voice, though it lacked the southern accent and any emotion whatsoever. "He is in his own hell and quite unreachable."

"Then give him back, you son of a bitch!" Edge demanded, gathering his courage.

"I think not," Chiron answered. He shoved Edge lightly on chest, but it was enough power to send the R-rated superstar back into the awaiting arms of the demon's incubi. They carried Edge back to the altar, laying him flat upon it.

Edge struggled with all his might to get free of their grip. "So, what are you going to do to me? Use me as a vessel for another demon to get inside my body?"

"No..." Chiron whispered impassively, "I am going to send your soul to where it belongs."

"You're going to send me to Hell?! Edge blurted out, redoubling his efforts to escape. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

"Why do you not believe me?" the demon's glare grew slightly harsher. "Do you not think you deserve to be there?"

"No!"

"After all the crimes you've committed, you believe yourself worthy of escaping punishment?"

"Crimes?" Edge furrowed his brow in genuine confusion. "I don't understand…"

"Ah, the eternal refrain of humanity," Chiron spat coldly. "Always pleading ignorance and begging for mercy!"

"I'm not begging!" Edge snapped. "Just what are these crimes you accuse me of?!"

"On August twenty first, two thousand and five, you did willfully beat and bloody Matt Hardy until he had to be helped out of the arena because he could not leave on his own power," the demon recited.

"Oh, yeah…that…" Edge winced, remembering the fierce battle that had taken place between him and Matt hardy at Summerslam two thousand and five. Their emotions were still all kicked up from Lita's illicit affair with Edge. It was a brutal fight.

"And many hundreds of crimes of violence beyond that." Chiron raised his hand and dark clouds swarmed around, taking the shape of a staff with round blades on each end. "You must not be allowed to commit further crimes in this world." He made the blade ready to strike.

"Please give me another chance! I promise I won't be violent ever again," Edge tried to bargain with the demon.

"I can't take that chance… You are too great a risk, Adam Copeland, so you must be sent to hell!"

Even after all the ladders he had jumped off, all the fights and injuries he'd been through, this was the first time Adam "The Edge" Copeland had acknowledged his own mortality. He could see his own death and damnation in the metallic reflection of the blade shimmering in the dim light.

Only one thought rang in the R-rated superstar's mind. "Help…"

000

_The cavalry is on its way, but will they get there in time to save Edge...? _


	21. The Trap

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Chiron unlocked the staff so that it became two separate blades. He raised one of the crescent shaped blades, poised to strike the killer blow to his first living victim. Adam Copeland.

However, luck seemed to be on Adam's side, as the door at the other end of the room burst open and The Undertaker and his crew stepped through.

"CHIRON!!" The Phenom roared.

The demon frowned darkly and lowered the blade. He elegantly leapt over the altar, landing at the bottom of the steps. "You have caused me too much trouble, reaper." He growled icily as he approached the group, his incubi followed closely behind.

At that same moment Matt Hardy felt his heart sink, when he realized that all hopes of saving his little brother were dashed.

Taker readied his scythe as Chiron drew closer. "When a hell keeper defies his code of rules to take living souls like this, it's my duty to stop you! I am not just reaper of human souls; I send demons back to where they belong as well."

"That's because you used to be a hell keeper, you used to me. You of all people should understand what I'm trying to do," Chiron pleaded his case in his usual detached voice. "You would keep violent souls on this world, only making more victims to be tormented. You know I can see the darkness grow on souls, so why not send them to hell now, and spare the lives of the innocent they would have taken."

"You have no right to do so," Taker growled. "Despite the fact there are violent souls in the world...many of them can be shown the light and purify themselves from the sins they committed, before their lives are over."

"And how many will be left dead and bloodied in their path before they do see that light, if they ever do?" Chiron challenged, for the first time his mask of cold indifference was starting to crack with the true emotion of anger.

"That is not for you to decide. It is beyond your scope of duty to pass judgment on souls, it is your job as a hell keeper to cleanse a soul who has been deemed guilty by the court of angels and demons," Taker shouted, "It is not your right or duty to condemn!"

"Enough!" Chiron snarled. "You have stalled me long enough, reaper!"

The demon and his incubi charged toward The Undertaker and his group, abandoning the altar and Edge all together, much to the R-rated superstar's relief.

"They're not as bad they look," Kane said to the other wrestlers, while he readied his weapon.

"Yeah right, this from a guy who takes pleasure in setting other guys on fire," Randy muttered.

Kane smirked and lashed out when the incubi closed in on them. He killed four with one sweep of his axe. As the blade struck each of them, they burst into flames, turning into a pile of ashes seconds later.

"I'll watch your back if you watch mine." Rey Mysterio backed up against Batista as they found themselves surrounded by the incubi.

"You got it Rey." Batista nodded back at his teammate.

"It's going to take the grace of God to get us out of this alive," Shawn said as he stood back to back with Triple H as well.

"Well, when he shows up to help us, let me know." Hunter plunged his spike into the shoulder of one of the incubi. It burst into flames and became nothing but ashes. "At least that worked."

Nearby, Umaga threw his spike and nailed an incubi, that was trying to pounce on John Cena from behind, in the head. Meanwhile, Khali grabbed one by the tail and swung it hard into one of the walls. It turned into dust from the impact. Apparently, the spikes were not the only thing that could kill them.

Meanwhile, Matt stood paralyzed by shock as it sunk in that Jeff was gone, beyond salvation. He had come too late to save his little brother.

"Matt, look out!" Shannon Moore shouted as grabbed the back of Matt's shirt, pulling him out of the way of an incubus' claws. "Wake up, man! We got a battle fight!"

The incubus lashed out again, striking Shannon in the arm, deep enough to tear the skin and spring up blood. I was not a serious wound, but it was enough to spur Matt Hardy into action. The older Hardy felt a deep, powerful rage rise up. They had taken his brother; they would not take his friend too.

He leapt forward, embedding the spike he had into the incubus. As it turned to dust, he whipped the spike out at another and then another. Matt was on a rampage with no intention of stopping until every incubi was dust.

Shannon stood up, gripping his arm in effort to stop the bleeding. He watched in amazement as Matt picked up Moore's own spike as well and nailed two incubi in the head at the same time

"Matt's gone crazy," Shannon whispered to a nearby John Cena who nodded with wide eyes.

Sparks flew as The Undertaker's scythe and Chiron's crescent blades met. They were deadlocked, with their two weapons, each trying to overpower the other.

"You would defend the wicked from their rightful fate!" Chiron snarled. The demon unlocked his staff and swung the separated blades at Taker. One sliced horizontally, almost catching The Phenom's abdomen, the other went vertically, barely missing Taker's chest.

Taker leapt back, avoiding both strikes. "I am performing my duty of keeping this mortal realm in balance," Taker growled.

"Then you shall die doing it!" Chiron slashed at Taker again, only to have the Phenom block the strike and nail the demon's abdomen with his fist in return.

Chiron staggered back a few steps it had been along time since he had faced a real fighter in real combat, and as such his skills were quite rusty. He had to find some other way to defeat this reaper.

While the demon was off guard, Taker swung his scythe around the tip, hitting Chiron's chest, although it did not pierce either the fabric or the flesh. Instead, it sent shockwaves though Chiron's body, forcing him to drop the crescent blades. When Taker pulled the scythe away, the demon collapsed to the ground seemingly unconscious.

The Phenom could not help being a little surprised as he had expected more of a fight out of him. However, he quickly brushed it aside and lifted the demon onto his shoulder. He quickly carried him up the steps and past the altar. He set his scythe down and used both hands to position Chiron on the door. He had to do this in order to send Chiron's soul out of Jeff's body and back through the door into hell.

When he had the demon just where he wanted him, Taker leaned down to pick up his scythe and finished the job. However, when he looked up again he realized too late that Chiron had just been playing opossum.

The demon ran up and kicked Taker in the head. As the Phenom staggered backwards, Chiron grabbed him by the front of his clothes and swung him around, shoving him up against the door. Clearly the demon's powers were magnifying Jeff's strength.

Chiron hissed a few words in the language of demons and the metal sculptures that had grabbed Jeff before, now wrapped their arms around The Undertaker, binding him to the door.

"Clever son of a bitch," Taker growled.

"You underestimated me, Reaper, that was your fatal mistake," Chiron hissed.

"So what are you waiting for?" Taker snapped.

"It's not fatal for you yet," Chiron spat, before turning his attention back to Kane and the other wrestlers, who had by now effectively destroyed the demon's incubi.

His gaze focused on the other reaper, the only real obstacle left in his way, Kane. With Taker trapped on the door, Kane could not send Chiron's soul back to the other side. After killing Kane, the demon could easily dispatch the bound Undertaker.

Chiron made his way down the steps towards Kane, looking completely unfazed at the prospect of fighting Taker's younger brother. He calmly picked up one of his crescent blades at the bottom of the steps.

Kane growled and readied his weapon as he met Chiron's glare. Not taking his eyes away, he shouted to the others. "Free Taker, I'll take care of Chiron."

The other wrestlers nodded and made their way up the steps, staying as far away from Chiron as possible. The demon paid no heed to them, as soon as the reapers were taken care of, dispatching the regular mortals would be easy enough.

Kane threw his axe at Chiron. The demon easily dodged the forward strike, but Kane yanked on the chain, jerking the weapon back toward him. Chiron spun around in enough time to see the axe coming at him. He brought up his crescent blade to block the axe, leaving his back turned to Kane.

The Big Red Machine lashed out with his hook. The chain wrapped around Chiron's neck and the hook clamped into one of the links. Kane smirked; he had caught the demon himself.

"Now, how the hell are we going to handle this?" Shannon looked at the metal arms binding Taker to the door.

"I think between your nine brains you can come up with something," Taker snapped out of frustration, at falling for Chiron's ruse.

"Why don't you think up something since you seem to be the know-it-all around here," Orton snapped back.

"Don't start with me, Randall," Taker growled.

"Come on guys now is not the time." Cena had appointed himself as mediator in the hopes of calming everyone down enough to think of a plan.

Khali, on the other hand, took a more direct approach, by grabbing one of the metallic arms and, pulling it with some effort away from Taker's chest. He let go of it, intending to go for the next one, however as soon as he did, it snapped back into place.

"We must open them all at the same time," Umaga stated gravely.

"We're going to need a good plan of action, a timed strike," Edge suggested.

"Anybody got any ideas?" Triple H raised an eyebrow.

Matt studied the metal bonds and quickly formed a formation of who would grab what. "Khali, Umaga, you take the arms across Taker's chest. Hunter, Shawn, you pull the arm around his abdomen. Cena, Orton, you pull away the hands binding Taker's arms. Shannon, Adam, you guys will free Taker's legs. We can all use the spikes for leverage."

Everyone stared at Matt in shock. However, the older Hardy was in no mood for delays. "What are you waiting for? Get into position! MOVE IT!"

Meanwhile, Kane had looped the chain like a lasso in midair. As it fell around Chiron, Kane pulled it tight, locking the demon's upper arms to his sides. Now Kane had him by the neck and torso.

"I have you now, demon!" Kane sneered; all he had to do now was hold on to Chiron until the others could free Taker.

"Do you?" Chiron said coldly.

The demon tossed the crescent blade into the air, pulling with all his might against the chains. Kane was shocked when he actually had to strain to keep Chiron from marching away. The Big Red Machine dug into the floor with his feet to keep his stance firm as the chain was pulled as tight as it would go. Kane was so engrossed in the tug-o-war with Chiron, he failed to notice that the crescent blade that had been thrown up in the air before was coming back down. The momentum of the descent gave the blade extra power. When it hit the taut chain it cut right through.

Kane stared in shock at the broken chain. Chiron, meanwhile, had removed the remaining chain from around his neck. He threw the hook back in Kane's direction. The Big Red Machine looked up just in time to see it, catching it just before it hit him in the face.

Chiron picked up his crescent blade and charged Kane. He struck out with it, barely missing Kane's chest as the Big Red Machine jumped away.

Kane scrambled over to where his hook had fallen after the chain had been cut. While Kane picked up his weapon, Chiron grabbed the other crescent that had been discarded during his short battle with the Undertaker. He locked the handles of the two blades together so they formed a staff again, with one blade on each end.

Chiron stared straight at Kane, who glared straight back. The big Red Machine took a fighting stance, ready for the demon to attack. Not taking his eyes off Kane, Chiron slammed one end against the floor. Thorn branches erupted from the ground beneath Kane's feet. The vines entwined themselves around Kane's body, immobilizing him completely.

"Damn it!" Kane snarled, trying to free himself from the branches, as Chiron approached.

Chiron readied his crescent blade; it was the weapon of the dead which could dispatch a reaper as well as mortals. On top of that Kane would lose his second chance at life.

"Kane!!" The Undertaker gazed on in horror as the demon advanced. He was still bound to the door and could do nothing to stop Chiron from delivering a fatal blow to his younger brother. It was worse than the time when he was locked out of the steel cage in which both Mankind and Stone Cold Steve Austin ganged up on Kane and there was nothing he could do about it.

Taker redoubled his efforts to get free even before the other wrestlers set their plan into action. He stopped a moment when he saw Matt Hardy running down the steps toward Chiron and Kane.

Matt did not know what madness had possessed him to take on Chiron. He just understood the pain Taker was going through as an older brother, having to stand by and watch helplessly as someone meant to hurt your little brother. Since Taker could not protect Kane, Matt would have to do it for him. The older Hardy ran up and wrapped his arms around Chiron's waist. "Jeff! Don't!" Matt pleaded, as he tried to pull Chiron away from Kane.

The demon growled and spun around, pressing the blade to Matt's throat. A mere twitch of Chiron's wrist would cut open the older Hardy's neck. Suddenly, the demon's eyes squeezed shut, and when they opened again, instead of a harsh red, they were emerald green. The other hand not holding the blade lashed out, pushing Matt to the ground, safely away from danger.

Matt stared in disbelief, at the same time his heart flooded with a ray of hope. "Jeff…?"

The demon dropped the crescent blade and gripped his head as if afraid it might split open. He looked at Matt with worried eyes and spoke between labored breaths. Black blood ran from his mouth at every word.

"Run, Matt…"

000

_It seems Chiron couldn't expel Jeff's soul after all… _


	22. The Exorcism

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

"Run…Matt…" Jeff rasped through ragged breaths. Black blood poured from his mouth as he spoke each word. "Run… Before he hurts you…"

Matt could only stare in disbelief. Jeff was still in there, fighting the demon possessing him.

Jeff dropped the bladed staff and gripped his head as if it might crack open at any moment. When the staff hit the ground, the vines unwrapped themselves from around Kane.

"Jeff, hang in there!" Matt stood up and approached Jeff, carefully wrapping his arms around him. "We'll help you, we'll save you."

"No!" Jeff shouted, pushing Matt away. "He's too strong! It's too late!" He screamed when another tremor of pain wracked his body. The younger Hardy looked at Matt with worried eyes. "I don't want to hurt you, Matt…"

Matt looked back at his little brother helplessly, the frustration he felt was clearly seen on his face. "I'm sorry, Jeff," his voice wavered. "I tried…"

Jeff's face softened a little and he even managed a weak smile. "I know…"

The young Hardy screamed again as the demon pushed forward. His body convulsed as Chiron pulled him back into the dark recesses of his own mind, a veritable prison of the soul.

When his eyes opened again they were blood red. Jeff was gone.

Chiron picked up his fallen staff and glared menacingly at Matt. After all, it was the older Hardy that had given Jeff the strength and will to take control.

"Not as in control as you thought you were, eh, Chiron?" Kane sneered, interrupting Chiron's advance on Matt.

"Silence, reaper!" Chiron snarled, black blood coming out of his mouth.

"Jeff's body is still rejecting you," Kane mocked further.

"And now we are going to help him!" The now freed Undertaker came down the steps, scythe in hand.

Chiron looked between the two brothers of Destruction. He unlocked the staff, separating the two blades.

As Taker and Kane advanced toward him, Chiron threw the blade in Matt's direction, hoping to eliminate one threat or distract another.

Taker changed his trajectory and dove in to block the crescent blade from slicing Matt apart. It bounced off the bar of the scythe and back into Chiron's hand. The demon now turned his attention to Kane.

"Go tell the others to get away from the door!" Taker yelled at Matt over his shoulder while running to help Kane. "Now!"

Matt nodded and dashed toward the others. "Guys get away from the door! They're going to try and seal Chiron! You have to get away from the door now!"

The other wrestlers didn't have to be told twice; they followed Matt back down the steps and watched with baited breath the battle taking place before them.

Chiron simultaneously blocked a strike from Taker at his back and one Kane in the front. The three of them were deadlocked, trying to overpower each other. Taker caught Kane's eye. He motioned with his head and his brother nodded.

The Brothers of Destruction moved in unison. Their weapons slid across the blades of the crescents in such away that Chiron was forced to spin around in order to not get caught off guard. When the demon got his bearings, he ended up caught in between the door and the Brothers of Destruction.

Kane and Taker thrust their hands forward into Chiron's abdomen. Their combined powers sent the demon flying back several feet.

Chiron crashed into the wall next to the door. Taker growled in frustration. It was close, but not close enough. The demon needed to be touching the door in order for the soul expulsion spell to work. And to get Chiron to stand against the door long enough for the spell to be conducted would be damn near impossible.

Unless…

Taker grabbed Matt's arm. "Want to help us finish this?" The question was more rhetorical rather than asking. Matt was going to help them whether he wanted to or not.

"What must I do?" the older Hardy asked.

"We're going to pull off a bluff." Taker started dragging Matt toward the steps, and motioned for Kane to follow. "I'm going to take to the door and then I'm going to threaten to kill you in order to open the door."

Matt might have hesitated upon hearing that, but Taker hadn't steered them wrong so far, so he trusted that the dead man knew what he was doing. Besides, Matt was willing to do anything help Jeff. Still, he some nagging doubts. "How will that help?" he asked.

"Hopefully this will trigger Jeff to take control again," Taker said quietly. He squeezed Matt's wrist, making the older Hardy wince. "Now make it look convincing."

Matt nodded and tried to pull his wrist free. He cried out, "No, Taker, don't do this!"

Taker growled and roughly jerked Matt forward. "It has to be done, this is our last option."

"Please don't!" Matt cried, still trying to free himself from Taker's iron grip.

The Undertaker threw Matt against the door and readied his scythe. "It has to be done! Since I can't use his blood to open the door, I'll use yours!" The Phenom raised his scythe.

Matt shut his eyes and turned his head away, waiting for the coming blow. However, instead of a sharp blade, he felt another body crash into his.

The older Hardy opened his eyes to find his little brother's sweat drenched face in front of his.

The eyes were green, it was Jeff. The younger Hardy had his hands braced against the door on either side of Matt, his body effectively shielding his older brother's. Taker had stopped his scythe in mid swing.

"Jeff…" Matt whispered, placing his hands on either side of Jeff's face and, touching his forehead to his little brother's. Jeff's form was shaking horribly from his fight for control with the demon inside him.

"Nice bluff, man…" Jeff managed a weak smile even though his face was a mask of pain. "Matt," he gasped. "You have to get out of the way, let Taker do what he needs to do."

"Jeff," Matt pulled back to look his little brother straight in the eye. "What he does to expel Chiron may be more than your body can take."

"I know…" Jeff rasped between ragged breaths. "But I'm in so much pain, Matt… Chiron's killing me inside."

Matt looked over at one of Jeff's hands. It was gripping the metal door so hard, blood began to flow. The demon's black blood mixed with Jeff's human red blood.

"Matt, get out of the way!" Taker shouted.

"Better do it, man," Jeff rasped.

The older Hardy opened his mouth to protest, but as his little brother's inevitable fate sunk in, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Jeff smiled sadly back. "Matt, promise me that no matter what happens you stay away and let Taker do what he needs to do. Promise me."

Matt swallowed hard and nodded. He hugged Jeff tightly for few seconds, before moving away.

When Matt was a safe distance away, Jeff slowly turned around to face Taker. "Do it, Taker! Do whatever you need to do! No matter what it is! Even if it kills me!"

Taker hesitated for a moment. He hadn't expected Jeff to accept his fate so willingly, and it caught him off guard.

"Do it, Taker!" the young Hardy shouted again.

The Phenom shook his head and refocused. He raised his scythe, and after calling out an incantation, he brought the scythe down. As soon as the tip touched Jeff's chest, streams of glowing light surged through Jeff's body.

The symbols on the door began to glow as if welcoming their master home. Suddenly Jeff's hands wrapped around the scythe and tried to push it away from his chest. Chiron had regained control.

"Kane! Help!" Taker called out, not taking his eyes off Chiron.

The younger brother of destruction dashed over to his older brother's side. He also uttered an incantation and pushed down on the scythe, adding his strength to Taker's. As the power increased Chiron's hands were forced apart and away from the scythe.

The symbols on the door glowed even brighter. They flashed blindingly and quickly faded away. As the light faded away from both the scythe and the door, Jeff's body went limp. Since the scythe had not actually pierced his chest, he slowly slid down the door and slumped to the floor.

Black blood began to drain out of the pores in Jeff's skin as his body tried to cleanse itself of the foreign substance. The demonic clothes of Chiron evaporated into black steam and then dissipated all together, leaving Jeff dressed in the wrestling gear he wore before the possession.

Matt swallowed a sob before unsteadily walking over to Jeff's fallen form. The older Hardy carefully turned him over, before wrapping his arms around his little brother's body. "I'm sorry Jeff… I let you down… I'm so sorry…" He could not hold it in anymore and he let himself cry freely.

The other wrestlers drew closer to see what the final showdown had wrought. Shannon felt his heart stop when he saw Matt holding Jeff and sobbing. That could only mean one thing. Jeff was dead.

"Aw Fuck!" Shannon shouted, "After all that shit and we still couldn't save him!" He slumped down into a sitting position on the steps. He buried his head in his hands, unable to deal with the conflicting emotions of sorrow and frustration at the death of one of his best friends.

The other wrestlers bowed there heads in silent sympathy for Matt and Jeff.

After a few minutes of silence, the older Hardy got his sobs under control, but as he did so he thought he felt a heartbeat that was not his own. He swallowed and listened carefully, sure enough the soft beats and shallow breaths were coming from Jeff. They were weak signs of life, but life none the less.

"Oh my god, he's still alive," Matt said, his voice shaky, but hopeful. "Hang in there, Jeff, stay with me."

"Come on, let's get him to a hospital, maybe they can revive him," Batista said as he went to help carry Jeff.

Taker and Kane watched the scene from a distance, still trying to catch their breath, after sealing Chiron's soul away behind the door.

"Hopeful fools," Kane muttered to Taker. "Jeff's just a body. A body alive or not is nothing without a soul. Should we break it to Matt that Jeff's soul got expelled along with Chiron's?"

"Hopefully we won't have to," Taker slowly got to his feet, looking determined. "You need to make sure Jeff's body is kept alive as long as possible."

"What do you mean? What are you up to?" Then it hit Kane. He knew exactly what Taker intended to do. "What makes you think Grim will go along with this crazy plan of yours?"

"Jeff was willing to let himself be sacrificed in order to stop Chiron. Self sacrifice gets you extra kudos. And if Grim doesn't go for that, I'll think of something."

Kane stared at his brother for a long moment. "You've gone soft."

"I know," Taker groaned. "Blame Sara and Chasey for that."

000

Jeff's eyes snapped open. There was a blood red sky with dark ominous clouds swirling about. He knew that sky; he had seen it many times in his nightmares. He jumped to his feet and found himself standing on the bank of a blood red river.

He was in hell.

"No, no, no," Jeff stammered, backing away from the river, he stopped when he felt thorns piercing the back of his legs. "This can't be happening again."

"It is happening." Chiron appeared behind Jeff, his voice booming with rage, "And this time it is no dream."

Chiron grabbed Jeff by his hair and started dragging him toward a rocky cliff that stretched out over the bloody river Phlegethon.

"No!" Jeff growled, trying to free himself from Chiron's grip. "I won't be your victim anymore!"

"The choice is not yours," Chiron snarled, "This is my world now! I am in control and you will get what you deserve for ruining my plans!"

"I was just trying to get my body back, it was never yours to control in the first place!" Jeff shouted, dragging his feet in hopes of slowing their advance toward the cliff.

"Exactly!" Chiron jerked Jeff forward up steep stony steps towards the top of the cliff. "I had hoped you would rewrite your own wrongs by helping me save this mortal world from those who would destroy all that's good in it. Instead, you turned on me, you refused this noble mission and for that you must suffer!"

"I told you before and I'll tell you again!" Jeff remained firm. "No matter how much you think that you're right, it doesn't give you the right to do something like this! Many people who have been violent can turn over a new leaf, you don't know until you see it!"

Chiron's cold, indifferent face contorted with rage. "It's the same excuse they all give! It makes little difference to their victims! And you are one of them! By stopping me, you help them go on with their dirty work!" He grabbed Jeff by the throat. "Your suffering will be legendary, even in hell!"

"What will you accomplish with something like this?!" Jeff rasped as Chiron's hand impinged on his voice box. "Nothing! You'll be in more trouble than you had been even before I was your host!"

Chiron was unmoved; he simply tightened his grip on Jeff's throat and held him out over the river. "I am already doomed thanks to you! But I will take you with me!"

"Don't you dare, _ese_!" a voice shouted off to the side of them.

Chiron turned his head toward the intruder, still holding Jeff out over the river. "Who dares talk that way to me?

"I do, _ese_. I have a message from the Grim that say you better let him come with me unharmed!"

Jeff's eyes widened in shock when he turned he looked in the same direction Chiron was gazing in and saw who the messenger was…

"Eddie Guerrero?"

000

_Chiron's soul was finally expelled from Jeff's body, but Jeff's own soul was expelled as well and now he is trapped in hell. Can Jeff's soul be saved and possibly returned to his body? Or is death's grip just too tight…._


	23. The Afterlife

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__ This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Jeff stared in complete shock. Standing before them was Eddie Guerrero, the WWE's Latino Heat until his sudden death in 2005.

"Eddie Guerrero?" Jeff rasped. Despite his shock and the terrible situation he was in, he would know that familiar face anywhere.

Chiron backhanded Jeff across the face. "Silence!"

"Stop it!" Eddie yelled.

"What makes you think I will obey you?"Chiron snapped.

"This!" Latino Heat held up a tablet with ancient runes written in blue flame on it. "A message from Grim himself!"

Chiron frowned, before tossing Jeff aside into a near by rock, knocking the young Hardy unconscious. When he took the tablet, it took every ounce of restraint on Eddie's part not to attack the Hell Keeper for his continued abuse of Jeff.

The demon read the tablet with a face devoid of any expression at all. When he was finished, he casually tossed it back to Eddie. "There is nothing in there that I don't already know or care about," Chiron said coldly, before heading over to where Jeff was lying on the ground.

Eddie's next move was pure soul memory and instinct. After years of being in the WWE, his wrestling style and moves had become so much a part of his life that they molded part of his personality. Apparently his soul retained some of it beyond the grave; without thinking, he slammed the tablet in his hand over Chiron's head. The demon reeled backwards; off balance, he backed up over the edge of the cliff and fell.

Eddie stood there open mouthed for minute as he realized he had just knocked a demon of hell over the head. He cursed in Spanish and dashed over to the fallen Jeff.

"Aw _ese_, how can you be unconscious? You're dead!" Eddie grumbled, pulling Jeff onto his back. "Stupid soul memories..."

Eddie looked down over the edge of the rock formation and saw his low-rider below. He could either walk down the steps cut into the rock, or jump for it. He guessed time was of the essence, for no doubt Chiron was already recovering from his bump on the head, so Guerrero chose the latter. He had to keep reminding himself that he no longer had a physical body and had no bones to break.

He jumped and landed perfectly on his feet and dashed toward his car. When he was only inches away Chiron burst out of the river and landed in front of them.

"Enough of this!" the demon snarled. "You have crossed me too far, messenger! I'm going to make sure you drown in Phlegethon as well!"

Suddenly the ground shook and more clouds formed in the red sky. Two figures rose up through the ground, while six levitated down from the sky. The figures encircled Chiron and Eddie, glaring at them with sinister expressions.

Eddie felt his whole body freeze when he realized that the other figures were hell keepers like Chiron. He couldn't stop himself from taking a step back as the largest Hell keeper stepped forward. He wore garments similar to Chiron's except spikes made of ice stuck out all over his body, save for his face, which bore an eerie resemblance to Eddie's friend and fellow wrestler Batista. The demon was Antaeous, the keeper of the ninth layer of Hell, the layer closest to Lucifer.

"You will do no such thing, Chiron!" Antaeous boomed.

"Stay out of this, Antaeous!" Chiron snapped. "This is no concern of yours."

"It is every concern of ours!" Antaeous bellowed. "You have committed crimes against this mortal, in doing so you have also committed crimes against us!"

For the first time Chiron actually looked surprised. "What crimes have I committed against you, my brethren?"

"The crime of heresy!" Dis of the sixth layer accused. "You denounced your sacred vows as a hell keeper!"

"Wrath!" shouted Plutus of the fifth layer. "You no longer have control of your anger and hate!"

"Abuse of power!" Malebolge of the eighth layer hissed.

"And treachery," Antaeous finished darkly. "In betraying your vows, by unauthorized entering of the mortal world and, possessing a mortal, you betrayed us!"

"Have God and Grim and their ilk turned you against me too?" Chiron demanded.

"Not just that, Libido informed us of your wrong doings as well," Phylegyas of the fifth layer answered.

Chiron turned his icy glare to the keeper of the second layer. Libido glared back at him with an angry and hurt expression on his face. "I did not think you would actually do it, that you would actually betray us like that."

Chiron's glare became even harsher and he advanced on the other hell keeper. "Why you forked tongued little wretch!"

"Enough!" Antaeous got in between the two. "Libido, escort the victim and the messenger to the entrance of hell, and ensure their safe crossing over the River Styx,"

Libido nodded and motioned for Eddie to follow, before exiting the circle. Eddie took one last wary look at the hell keepers and followed Libido over to his low-rider. He dumped the still unconscious Jeff into the back and hurried over to the driver's side. He breathed a sigh of relief at being back behind the wheel, but tensed up again Libido got in the passenger's side and sat down beside him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Libido drawled; quirking an eyebrow at Eddie.

"Nothing," Eddie said, gunning the accelerator. Latino Heat didn't have to be told twice to get the hell out of Hell.

"Take a left when you go through the flaming tombs and head straight till Acheron," Libido directed.

Eddie opened his mouth to say he remembered the way back but decided not to question the demon and took the direction as told. It was not long before they reached the River Styx, the mouth of the great river that ran through Hell. There the boatmen were at various places along to shore to ferry condemned souls across the river into Hell.

Latino Heat drove up to the dock he had exited from before.

"Hey, ese," Eddie grinned at the boatman. "Mind giving us a ride to the other shore?"

"Present your identification," the Boatman demanded coldly.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, man, I came over here twenty minutes ago!"

"Present your identification!" the Boatman demanded again.

"It's not getting into Hell that you need identification for, it's getting out that's the trick," Libido explained with some amusement.

"This is because I'm Latino, isn't it?" Eddie said offhandedly as he opened the glove compartment and pulled out another stone tablet.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Libido asked curiously. The Hell keepers were all virtually blind to such things as race, ethnicity, all souls were equal in death. You were either a condemned soul in need of cleansing or you were not.

"Never mind, it's a mortal thing," Eddie waved it off with a chuckle.

Libido shrugged and dropped the subject, while Eddie handed the stone tablet, he had taken out of the glove compartment, to the Boatman. The demi-demon looked over the tablet and nodded, handing it back to Eddie, before directing him to drive onto the boat.

As they began to move across the water, Libido climbed into the backseat. When Eddie looked around to see what he was doing, he was surprised to see Libido's form had changed to the beautiful image of Maria Kanellis dressed in Hell keeper's clothing, instead of looking like a demonic version of Jeff.

The Hell keeper had pulled the still unconscious Jeff's head into her lap, and was gently stroking his hair. "Poor beautiful creature, his soul still thinks it's alive and exhausted. Not that I mind though, he looks even more beautiful in his sleep. Much cuter than his brother."

Eddie watched the scene a little unnerved, wondering if he should intervene and rescue Jeff from Libido's clutches. However he decided against it, he didn't want another demon to be angry with them, plus Hell keepers were demons whose job it was to cleanse souls, not corrupt them.

"You met the Hardys before, ese?" Eddie asked carefully.

Libido nodded. "Yes, Chiron channeled me into Matt Hardy's dream, into the image of his brother to seduce him. I did not know what was going on at the time; Chiron said Matt might be one of my incest souls that had escaped from my layer. In truth, Chiron just wanted to scare Matt and Jeff for whatever reason." The Hell keeper sighed lustily. "Either way I got to meet both brothers and I think I'm in love…"

"You? In love?"

Libido rolled his eyes and groaned. "Well, if you want to get technical, 'in lust' with them, I guess."

"I don't get it…" Eddie grimaced. "They get a demon consumed by lust to punish the lustful souls?"

Libido smirked knowingly. "Who better to understand the inner workings of the lustful than he who is lustful himself, eh?"

"I guess that makes sense," Eddie murmured thoughtfully.

He started the engine as the boat pulled up to the other shore. With a heavy sigh, Libido got out of the car, but stopped to reach in and caress Jeff's face one last time. "Good-bye, my sweet one..." He leaned in and kissed Jeff on the forehead. "I hope we meet again soon."

At that moment Jeff opened his eyes and looked up dazed at Libido. "Maria?"

Libido grinned and gazed back at Jeff with sultry eyes. "I'm sorry, darling. Did I wake you up?"

Unfortunately, the Hell keeper had not completed the transformation enough to change her voice from demonic to Maria's voice. Jeff's eyes snapped open wider and he moved to the other side of the car, trying to keep himself as far away from Libido as possible.

"Damn it! Can't you guys just leave me alone?!" Jeff snapped in both anger and panic.

Libido teleported to right behind Jeff and began toying with his hair. "Now why would I want to do that?"

"Because ese, you'll end up like your pal Chiron..." Eddie said with a grin.

Libido frowned and let go of Jeff's hair. "Fair point. Well, off with you then." Before leaving, he kissed a shocked Jeff on the cheek. "Happy afterlife, dear…"

When the Hell keeper was clear of the car, Eddie gunned the accelerator, he wanted to get as far away from the entrance of Hell as he possibly could. Jeff sat silent in the back still in shock. Up ahead there was a long winding road up a mountain covered in mist.

When the entrance to Hell was no longer in site, Eddie slowed down the car to a much easier pace and flipped on some music. The familiar theme of "I lie, I cheat, I steal!" seemed to jolt Jeff out of his shocked stupor and at the same time he realized he was with Eddie Guerrero who was supposed to be dead.

"Um…is this some sort of dream?" Jeff asked softly.

"Afraid not, ese," Eddie shook his head.

"Then that means…" Jeff said slowly, then groaned and slumped back against the seat. "Damn it, I'm dead aren't I…?"

"Yup," Guerrero chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"You... me, this whole situation." Eddie laughed again. "I was kinda expecting to see you soon, but in a different way."

"A different way?"

Eddie shrugged. "I mean I thought you'd be here because you broke your neck on a ladder or overdosed or something like that. Not because a demon possessed your body."

"Me neither," Jeff murmured, still bewildered by the whole situation. "So... What happens now...?"

"You stay with me, until they decide what to do with you," Guererro smiled reassuringly, hoping to calm the young Hardy's nerves. "We're going to my house for a while. So sit back, man, and enjoy the ride, ese."

Jeff only nodded and shut his eyes, allowing his mind to wander blankly away from his troubles. He was jolted out of his reverie when the car came to a halt. He opened his eyes and saw the car was stopped in front of a silver gate.

"Hey, Holmes, mind letting me back in?" Eddie said to one of the guards at the gate.

The guard nodded and the silver gate opened for them to pass through.

"These guys are a lot more easy going than the boatman guys," Eddie whispered as he drove the car through.

"Yeah…?" the young Hardy murmured distantly, looking around like a tourist in a foreign land.

They were driving down a street where all of the houses looked exactly alike. The sky was perpetually overcast, neither raining nor did the sun shine.

"What is this place?" Jeff asked. "A suburb of Heaven or something?"

"I guess you could cal Purgatory that." Eddie shrugged.

"Purgatory? So we're in limbo?" Jeff raised a curious eyebrow.

"Nah, Limbo is the place where the soul waits for a reaper to sever them from their body, be it dead or alive. Kinda a way station between the mortal world and the afterlife."

"Okay…" Jeff nodded, still a little dazed.

"Yup, Purgatory is my home sweet home until my judgment day." Eddie pulled up to one of the houses and switched off the car. "Welcome to your new home for awhile."

Jeff nodded numbly as he got out of the car and followed Eddie into the house. While the outside of the house looked exactly the same as the others, the inside seemed to resemble the essence of Latino Heat.

"Nice place you got here." Jeff smiled, the fun loving vibe of the place lifted his spirits a little.

"Thanks, you can think of it as your own while you're here." Eddie grinned.

"Thanks, man," Jeff said tiredly.

Eddie's face softened as he studied the weary look on Jeff's face. The kid had been through a lot and his soul had been severed from his body so quickly it still reacted as if he were still alive.

"You look like you could use a stiff drink and a nap," Eddie said, patting him on the shoulder

"Yeah…" Jeff rubbed his hands over his face. "That sounds good."

"Well I can't offer you the stiff drink since that was a vice of mine in a former life, so I'm not allowed to have any here," Eddie said a little embarrassed. "But my couch is good for napping."

Jeff sat down on the couch and looked curiously at the television. The show that was on seemed to be showing Vickie Guererro and two children.

"Home movies?" the young Hardy asked.

"Nope, this allows me to watch and see what my family is up to. I can only view people blood related to me." Eddie smiled at the screen as it showed his two daughters playing tag. "Well I'll be in the other room if you need anything."

Jeff nodded and lay back on the couch. H didn't know how long he had slept but when he opened his eyes again, he heard Eddie's voice coming from the other room.

"Yeah, he's right in there, Ruby, I don't know how awake he is, he's been through a lot and his soul still thinks it's alive."

"Awe... my poor baby! Alright, we'll let him sleep a little longer."

At the sound of the other voice Jeff felt as if the couch had been pulled out from under him and the whole thing shook. He had not heard that voice since he was a little boy, in fact it was only a distance memory in his mind, more vivid in dreams than reality, yet still he knew it right away. At first he thought it wasn't possible, but then he remembered now that he was dead it made perfect sense.

It was the voice of his mother, Ruby Hardy.

Jeff got up from the couch and walked unsteadily into the other room where Eddie and his mother were talking.

"Momma?"

Ruby turned around and tears filled her eyes as they fell on her youngest son standing there. "Jeff…" Without hesitation, she ran up and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. "My little boy…"

Jeff stood there, frozen in shock while his mother hugged him. But soon his senses returned and he hugged her back. "I can't believe I'm seeing you again…"

She pulled away a little to get another look at her son, whom she'd been separated from for twenty-four years. "I know... I can't believe you're here either."

"It just kind a happened," Jeff began shakily. "There was this demon and a big door and..." he trailed off as his voice wavered from all of the emotions overwhelming him. His mother was just as he remembered her, from both his own mind and the photographs he kept. The same dark hair, the same gentle eyes, the same loving smile. The only thing that was drastically different was a pair of white wings on her back. Matt had been right. She was in heaven.

"Sssh, that's enough, you don't have talk about it." She placed her hands on either side of his face. "My little boy is all grown up and he looks even more handsome in person." She pinched his cheeks the way mothers do.

"Mom…" Jeff blushed the way sons did when their moms embarrassed them with shows of affection in front of other people. In this case it was Eddie.

However, Guerrero took the hint. "Well I gotta go buff some dents out of my low-rider, I'll be outside if you two need anything."

Jeff watched Eddie leave out the front door. When Latino Heat was gone Jeff turned back to his mother. Taking a deep breath, he decided to tell his mother something that had been troubling his mind for a long time. "Mom, there are some things I have to tell you, some things I-I have to get off my chest. You're not going to be very proud of me, but..."

"Son, I know," she said softly. "I've watched you and Matt everyday since I arrived here in Purgatory and when I was sent up to heaven."

Jeff felt relief and dread at the same time. It was a relief to know his mother was always watching over him, but at the same time that meant she had seen all the bad things he had done in his life. Knowing she had a low opinion of him would be a fate worse than being thrown into the bloody river of Phlegethon and tortured by Chiron.

"You have?"

Apparently she saw the apprehension in his eyes, for she gently brushed some loose strands of hair out of his face. "I know you had some dark days, and I was worried about you. I was worried I might see you up here too soon. But you overcame your struggles you climbed your mountain, or should I say, ladder."

Jeff could not help but laugh a little at the ladder comment. She had been watching him after all. However, his worries still remained and he said soberly. "But that still doesn't excuse what I did, Mom."

"Yes..." Ruby nodded firmly, but smiled again. "But what makes a man is his ability to recognize that he is going down a bad path and tries to retrace his steps and get on the good one. And you did that. I'm so proud of you."

Jeff felt as if a great weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. Not only had his mother forgiven him for what he was doing, but she was also proud of him. "Thanks that means a lot to me to hear that form you, Mom."

"Feel better?" Ruby patted his cheek.

Jeff nodded. Feeling relieved and happy, his eyes wandered up to gaze in awe at his mother's wings. "Wow, angels really do have wings…" He reached up like a curious child and touched one of the feathers. To his horror he accidentally pulled it out. "Oh no! I'm sorry!"

"Don't you worry, honey," Rudy chuckled. "They come out all the time and grow back; it keeps them fresh and strong." Sure enough and new feather grew into the old one's place and the wing looked like nothing had happened. "See? Now why don't you keep that one?"

"I can? Really?" Jeff beamed at her.

She nodded.

Just then, Eddie came back into the room accompanied by another angel that was none other than Owen Hart.

"Hey, sorry break up the moment, ese, but they wanna see Jeff now," Eddie said softly, a slightly worried expression on his face.

"What about?" Jeff asked nervously.

"Good news and bad news," Owen answered. "The good news is they might send you back to your body, the bad news is they might not."

"Right now?" Jeff asked, sounding a little disappointed. There were so many more questions he wanted to ask his mother.

"Yes, now," Owen said a little more urgently. "Keeping them waiting, won't help your case any."

"Well, go on, son," Ruby gave the young Hardy a push.

"Mom?" Jeff looked at her; surprised that she was so eager to send him off.

"Jeffery Nero Hardy," she said to him gently, but seriously. "I don't want to see you back here for a very long time. I want you and Matt to die happy old men peacefully in your sleep with lots of children and grandchildren around you, after leading very long and full lives, whatever they may be. Even if it means jumping off ladders until you're sixty."

Jeff chuckled. "Alright, Mom, I'll try."

"Good." She smiled proudly at him. "Now I want you to tell your brother that I am so proud of him too, for his good grades, his choices in life, and doing his best to be a big brother to you. Oh and to not dwell on the wrongs of the past, but to learn from them."

"That's some good advice, ese," Eddie said and Owen nodded in agreement. "Well, let's get going, shall we?"

Jeff nodded and followed the two men to the low-rider outside. "Um, could my mom come with me?" he asked as he got into the back seat of the car.

"Unfortunately not," Owen said apologetically. "She wouldn't be allowed in the judgment hall even if it was her rotation there, because she might raise hell in defense of her little boy."

"You can bet your teeth I would." Ruby grinned.

Jeff smiled back. "Thanks, Mom, I love you."

"I love you too, son," she said, kissing the top of his head. "Here's love and a kiss for Matt too." She kissed Jeff again this time on the forehead.

After the final good-bye, Eddie hit the accelerator and they sped off. It was only when his mother could no longer be seen in the distance did Jeff finally turn around and face front.

"Now, I remember you!" Owen announced out of the blue.

"Huh?" Jeff blinked.

"Yeah, you were that new kid jobber, me and Yokozuna beat up back in '95," Owen grinned.

"Heh, one of the proudest moments of my life, getting beat up by two legends at the same time," Jeff chuckled.

"Yeah, good to see you've come a long, long since then," Owen nodded smugly. "I knew you would."

"You did?" Jeff's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah, Vince isn't the only person who can spot talent a mile off. I said to Yoko, 'This kid's got a lot of heart, so let's beat him up extra hard so then we'll really put him over with the crowd.'" Owen winked at him.

Jeff chuckled. "Thanks, man. Yeah, after getting squashed by Yokozuna, jumping off a ladder didn't seem so bad."

"You're welcome. Oh, Eddie!" Owen snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot, because of your good behavior and your assistance in getting Jeff out of hell, your Judgment date has been moved up."

"Orale! Thanks, Holmes!" Eddie gave Owen a high-five. Latino Heat was eager to get his judgment over with, serve whatever sentence they gave him so he would be cleansed and could move on to Heaven. In Heaven, angels wee permitted to visit the living, as long as they didn't interfere too much.

"Congratulations, Eddie," Jeff said softly. "You're a good guy you'll probably avoid Hell all together."

Eddie shook his head. "Nah, I ain't no saint, ese"

"But he's right; you are a good guy." Owen added his two cents. "I've read your profile. It sounds like you made up for a lot of your mortal sins while you were still alive, so I think your sentence would be lighter. You probably won't be sent past layer one."

"Still I could use some soul cleansing, ese. I still got some regrets," Eddie said somberly.

"Ah, good point, a soul with regrets in Heaven, might as well be in Hell." Owen nodded thoughtfully.

Jeff leaned against the seat and stared up at the cloudy sky, allowing his mind to wander again.

_I wonder what Matt's doing now…_

000

Matt slowly opened his eyes to the blank white ceiling of the hospital room. He winced a little as he sat up, falling asleep in a hard hospital chair, had left a large crick in his neck. He did not remember falling asleep; apparently his exhausted body overrode his desire to keep vigilant at Jeff's side until his little brother had come out of his coma.

The older Hardy looked over at his still comatose brother, but noticed he was no longer alone at Jeff's bedside. Maria was sitting there, holding Jeff's hand and, gently stroking his hair.

"Hey," Matt said softly. "How'd you get in here? I thought it was family only."

"Well they think I am family," Maria said shyly. "I told them I was Jeff's fiancée. Maybe that was bad, but I just wanted to see him so much. I hope you're not mad."

"Nah…" Matt managed a weak smile. "I think he'd like that."

Maria blushed and looked back at Jeff. "You think so?"

"Yeah, he doesn't share his Skittles with just anyone."

Maria giggled. "I feel honored then."

Matt managed a small chuckled, before sighing. "Actually, I'm glad you were here to watch over him while I was asleep."

"I was happy to do that. I thought about waking you, but you seemed like you needed it."

Matt suddenly became distance as he remembered the dream he had had. "I had a weird dream… I dreamed I was in Eddie Guererro's house, but Jeff was there, and so was my mom."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah," Matt nodded a little sadly. "She was an angel and she was talking to Jeff about something, I don't remember what it was, except that she was proud of me and Jeff. And then Eddie and Owen Hart came in and I woke up."

"That is a bit on the strange side," Maria said thoughtfully. "But it sounds like your mom is proud of you and that's a good thing."

"It is…" Matt murmured. "It felt so real at the time. I almost thought that…"

"Thought what…?" Maria whispered.

"That I was dead…."

000

_Oh dear…. What's in store for Jeff's soul when he goes into judgment?_


	24. The Judgement

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__ This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Eddie drove the low-rider to the west end of Purgatory until they came to a wall of black and purple smoke.

"Just keep going, it won't bite," Owen grinned.

"You sure, ese?" Eddie looked at the younger Hart brother.

Owen nodded confidently. Latino Heat took a deep breath and drove right through the smoke. On the other side, they ended up in a long dark hallway, with walls made of black marble and a ceiling made of water. Eddie parked in front of the great door at the other end.

"Where are we?" Jeff whispered, looking in at his surroundings in awe and apprehension.

"The hall of Judgment," Owen said, getting out of the car.

A shiver ran up and down the young Hardy's spine. "Nice…"

"Well come on, let's get this over with for you," Owen motioned for Jeff to follow.

"Can I come too?" Eddie asked. He was eager to get an idea of what his own judgment would be like. "I could be a character witness or something."

"Sorry, Latino Heat, no non-judged souls allowed," Owen said apologetically.

Eddie snapped his fingers. "It was worth a shot."

"Thanks for everything, Eddie." Jeff waved.

"No problem ese, and if you get back to your body, remember, 'Viva La Raza.'"

And with that Latino Heat got back into his low-rider and drove back through the smoke.

When Eddie was out of sight, Owen waved a hand and the huge doors in front of them opened to reveal a round room of white marble. In sharp contrast to the dark hallway, it was light, and the ceiling was made of blue tropical looking water, it even had colorful fish swimming about in it. The seats like juror boxes were full of angels and demons all talking amongst each other. In the center chair sat the grim and in the middle of the floor stood The Undertaker.

The sight of Mark Calaway was a comforting one to Jeff. At least he wasn't going to have to go through this completely alone.

"This is bullshit!" Taker yelled at the jury. "You're just stalling because you simply don't want to deal with this problem; you're all waiting for Jeff's body to die so it will be decided for you."

"That is enough!" Grim called out. His gaze fell upon the door, as everyone quieted down and followed his gaze, all focusing down on Jeff in the doorway.

Owen patted Jeff on the back before he spread his wings and flew up to his seat in the jury box.

Taker smirked a little and motioned for the young Hardy to come to the middle of the room with him.

Jeff hurried over to where he was standing. "Taker... What's going on? Why are you here?" he whispered.

"They're trying to decide whether to send you back to your body or not." Taker said quietly. "I'm here because I'm your lawyer."

"Yeah?" Jeff grinned a little, knowing Taker had his back. "Cool..."

"Don't look too happy," Taker turned somber again. "They could decide not to let you go back or your body dies while we're here."

Jeff's face fell. "My body could die?"

Taker nodded gravely, but offered Jeff some hope. "It's not over yet, they wouldn't be going through this if it was already dead, plus medical science seems to be working miracles at keeping comatose people alive. Now all we have to do is convince them that you should go back, that you will do something worthwhile in the world if you are given another chance."

Jeff swallowed hard and nodded nervously.

"This man did not deserve his fate," Taker called out to the jury. "He has yet to live out his life time. It was cut short unnaturally by a hell keeper, a spirit of the afterlife. Jeff was merely an innocent victim targeted by this demon. You say to return him is a crime against nature? His death was a crime against nature through no fault of his own."

This started another wave of whispers from the angels and demons.

"What is the point?" One of the angels spoke. "We have seen the history of this man, he lives a reckless lifestyle. He may be back here tomorrow. Be it a broken neck or an overdose of something."

Taker winced and whispered, "I was worried they'd bring that up."

"But I've been clean for a while now!" Jeff called out in his defense. "I don't intend to go down that path again. If not for myself than for my family and friends, and besides, I could just as easily trip down a flight of stairs and break my neck."

"Fair point," said a demon in the jury box. "But what more do you have to offer to the world with your parlor tricks?"

"Far beyond that," Taker stepped up in Jeff's defense again. "Jeff Hardy has inspired many thousands who watch him do his 'parlor tricks' as you call them. He inspires them to rise up and be greater than what they thought they were, to be daring in what they do, to work through whatever pain is going on in their lives, be it mental or physical, and that it's never too late to get back on to the right path when you have strayed from it."

"Yeah, exist to inspire," Jeff uttered to the famous motto of the Hardy Boyz.

"Pretty words that don't mean much," the demon said, unmoved by Taker's speech, however other's around him seemed to be taking it more to heart.

"They do if they are true!" Taker snapped back.

"Prove it!" the demon demanded.

"Enough!" Grim bellowed. "I won't have this turn into a meaningless argument. The human's life hangs in the balance."

"Then send him back before it dies," Taker persisted.

"We want to hear more from the mortal." Grim turned his attentions back to Jeff. "What do you plan on doing with your life if you got a second chance, Jeff Hardy?"

Jeff gulped and took another deep breath. "Do what other people do. Just live. There are many more things I want to do before I die. I want to be a World Champion, I want people to look up to me and rise above their troubles, because if I could do then they could do it too. I have so many more sculptures I want to create. I want people to remember me and speak my name with admiration long after I'm gone. I want my own family with children and grandchildren. I want to…" He remembered the word his mother said to him before. "To die a happy old man peacefully in my sleep with lots of children and grandchildren around me, after leading a long and full life. Doesn't everyone want that deep down?"

A thoughtful hush hung in the courtroom like a thick blanket. It was broken only when Grim stood up. "Reaper Calaway, Jeff Hardy, we have heard your case, now we shall have to deliberate further. You will wait outside until the decision has been made."

Taker nodded and ushered Jeff out the door.

"That's it?" Jeff asked when they were outside and the door had closed. "That's all they needed to hear?"

"Yup." Taker said simply. "It wasn't just your words they were listening to. They were studying your soul. Every shift of your eyes, every turn of your head, every expression that crossed your face, the tone of your voice, the inflection on the words; all indications of an honest soul or a deceitful one."

"Oh man…" Jeff wearily slid down the wall into a sitting position and pulled his knees into his chest. "I didn't even think about all that stuff."

"Don't worry about it, you did all right, you said your peace," Taker said, patting the top of Jeff's head. "In fact it was better that you weren't thinking about the subtleties, if you had they would have picked up on that and then you would look like you were hiding something. You were honest and true, and that's the best way to go."

Jeff nodded, taking some comfort in Taker's words. Then he realized he had failed to thank the Phenom for all he had done. "Taker?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for having my back through all of this, man," Jeff smiled wearily, looking up at the Deadman. "I probably would have completely choked in there if you hadn't been there."

"Well, I did what I thought I had to do, nothing more." Taker waved it off.

Jeff knew better, but decided not to press further.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Jeff asked as he rested his head on his knees again.

"For your sake, not too long," Taker said somberly.

Jeff swallowed hard. "Do I really have a time limit?"

"You could say that. They may send you back, but if your body dies before you get there, you'll end up right back here." Taker said gravely. "Hopefully going through Limbo first this time."

"Limbo?" Jeff asked, trying to get his mind off the other worrisome words Take had just said. "Is that like Purgatory?"

"This is one of the reapers' main jobs, severing the soul from the body," Taker explained. "If you had died normally you would have come through Limbo. All souls come through there, either when their body dies, or when they go there and then are sent back in the case of a near-death experience, or for whatever reason the soul gets scared and leaves the body."

"Gets scared? Your soul leaves your body if you get scared?"

"It has to be really traumatic. Cases like a coma, a catatonic or vegetative state are usually the result of the soul leaving the body after a traumatic experience. Usually in the vegetative state case the body is so damaged the soul doesn't want to go back in it and the body slowly dies."

"Mmh-hmm," Jeff murmured taking it all in slowly, but didn't find he had much interest in it. All he wanted to do was get back to life, to Matt, to Maria.

"Though in some cases like yours, since you didn't go through Limbo, since you went to Hell and then to Purgatory, your body and your soul have been separating from each other on their own. And being in Hell accelerated this process," Taker said gravely. "You're a special case since you were sent straight to Hell through the door and you saw Purgatory as well. You saw the afterlife, that's the real reason they don't want to send you back."

That caught Jeff's attention. "So in my case...What does that mean?"

"And if a soul has been out of the body too long and it tries to get back in, it's too much of a shock for the body and the heart stops, and you will end up right back here..."

"Oh... Then it doesn't look good for me does it…?" Jeff murmured, feeling his heart sink at the prospect of never seeing Matt or Maria ever again. He did not even get a chance get to say good-bye…

000

_What will the court decision be…? Will Jeff get another chance at life?_


	25. The Flatline

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__ This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000 

Matt opened his eyes to the vision of a black sky full of stars. He sat up to find himself, sitting in a field of golden grass. Not gold like dried wheat fields, but real gold shimmering in the light of an invisible sun. In amongst the grasses were white flowers, sprouting from patches of green leaves. The whole field seemed to be on an island, floating in the middle of space.

A gentle breeze from nowhere blew the grass in one direction, just behind him.

The elder Hardy stood up and looked in the direction the grass was pointing. It all led to giant tree in the center. He gazed up at the trunk and was startled by how much it resembled Jeff's angel sculpture. Strong branches stretched out like arms, and smaller branches came out of the back like wings, intermingling in a delicate pattern. At the roots of the tree grew bushes of ruby red roses.

_Ruby...mother..._

Matt could feel a lump rise in his throat as the memory of his mother's death surfaced as clear as if it had happened yesterday. And now he was in danger of losing Jeff too. It was too much.

Matt rested his head against the trunk as internal sobs made his chest clinch painfully. However, now the tears never came, he had trained himself not to show them. Sorrow yes, but never tears.

"That one's always been one of my favs."

Matt raised his head and turned to see Jeff standing next to him, gazing up at the tree. The elder Hardy looked over at his little brother as if trying to make sure he was really there. Jeff was wearing his usual ring attire, the baggy cargo pants, the tank top, and of course the infamous Jeff Hardy "arm stockings." However, instead of being black or blue or even red, everything was white and they seemed to glow as the golden grass reflected off the white cloth. The younger Hardy's hair was pulled into braids again, and fell into several different colors from root to tip. From dirty blonde, to bleach blonde, to cascade into variations of blue and purple, like the noon day sun dipping into a tropical ocean.

Jeff turned to his older brother and smiled. "I think I like it being a tree better than painted cardboard, what do you think?"

"It's beautiful..." Matt whispered, looking up at the tree again.

"Well I can't take all the credit for it." Jeff chuckled softly. "I watched the movie, 'The Fountain' last week, it gave me some good ideas."

"Yeah?" Matt looked back at Jeff.

"I really liked the part in the movie when..." The younger Hardy's smile grew a little sad. "Well one of the characters was dying of the same thing mom had. And she told this ancient Mayan legend, where...I'm trying to remember...someone died and a tree grew from his body and his spirit was infused in the tree and the fruit."

"Living on after death..." Matt murmured. He swallowed another false lump in his throat. "We should have done that for mom. Planted something at her grave, so then she'd always have fresh flowers."

"It's not too late." Jeff brightened. "We could still do it."

"We could?" Matt's expression brightened as well, in hope that this was a hint that Jeff would in fact survive. He smiled a little and looked back at the tree. "Is this what you pictured Mom's tree would look like? I see the roses too."

"No," Jeff murmured looking fondly at the tree as well. "This is my tree."

Dread replaced the burgeoning hope in Matt's heart. "Yours?"

Jeff looked back at Matt and nodded.

"Then that means..." Matt choked in mid sentence and bit his lower lip.

Jeff felt a lump rise in his own throat at Matt's sadness and distress over him. The younger Hardy reached forward, took his elder brother's hand and smiled. "Remember when we were kids and we tried to climb that big tree in the back yard?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Come on..." Jeff whispered, pulling Matt along with him, as he ran around the tree.

As the two brothers rounded the corner they saw a ladder leaning up against the tree. Two small boys were climbing the ladder; one boy looked about nine years old while the other looked about six.

"Matty! Wait for me!" The younger boy called after the older one as he climbed the ladder.

"Jeff! You're not supposed to be up this high!" the older one shouted down at him from the branch just above the ladder.

"But I want to be on the branch too!" Little Jeff continued to climb the ladder.

Matt climbed further out on to the branch. "You're gonna get in trouble!"

"No I won't! I can do it!" The younger Hardy reached for the branch and grabbed on to it. However, his young legs were not quite long enough to balance in between the ladder and the branch. His footing slipped and he found himself holding on to the branch for dear life. "Matty! Help me!"

Even though he was terrified that his little brother was quite literally hanging on by a limb, Matt crawled over and grabbed one of Jeff's hands. "Hang on, Jeff! I gotcha!"

"Don't let go!" Jeff cried.

"I won't! Don't you let go either!" Matt used all of his strength, and by sheer force of will, and adrenaline pumping, he managed to pull his little brother up onto the branch.

Jeff panted for breath and wrapped his arms around his older brother as if holding on to a life preserver. "Thanks, Matty…"

"Hey," Matt said quietly, patting Jeff on the head. "What are big brothers for?"

"I'm never climbing a ladder again!" Jeff cried and clung to Matt even more.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to, since we have to get down from here," Matt said worriedly. "You gonna be okay to climb down?"

The younger Hardy brother gulped, but nodded. "I think so...although; you should go down first..."

Matt nodded back. "Sure..." He could see his little brother was still scared. "Do you want me to carry you?"

Jeff shook his head trying to hide his fear. "N-no, I'm fine. I'll go down by myself."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Follow me then," Matt began climbing down.

Jeff hesitantly stepped down on to the ladder rung, one step at a time.

"Come on, you can do it!" Matt encouraged him from a few rungs down.

Jeff tried to go down another step, but his foot missed it and he dropped down two steps lower. However, he managed catch himself and hold on. "Ah! I can't do this!"

"You can do it! I know you can!" Matt shouted up to him. "If you fall, I promise I'll catch you."

Jeff tried to get to the next rung but in his panicked state, he lost his balance and his grip. He began to fall. However, Matt made good on his promise and caught his little brother, taking the full brunt of the fall himself.

Jeff looked down at Matt underneath him. "Matty? Are you okay?"

"My arm hurts," Matt whimpered, clutching his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Matt!" Jeff sobbed as he helped Matt stand up. "It's my fault! I was too scared to go down the ladder and now you're hurt!"

Seeing his little brother's distress, Matt managed to swallow his own sobs. "Nah, it's okay, it wasn't your fault. It doesn't hurt anymore anyway."

Jeff wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up at Matt, smiling. "I promise, Matt...I'm going to be braver next time!"

Matt managed a weak smile of his own. "I bet you will little bro."

The older Hardys watched as their younger selves disappeared into the distance.

The older Jeff laughed. "Some things never change… When I got into trouble, you always got me out one way or another. Whether it was saving me from a tree, or backing me up in a match, or even locking me in my room while I was going through drug withdrawal, so I wouldn't get hooked on them again."

"Yeah…" Matt smiled, looking up thoughtfully at the tree. "I promised I'd always be there."

Jeff gazed at Matt as if doing his best to commit every detail of his older brother to memory just in case he might not see him again. At the thought of being dead, the younger Hardy's expression grew more somber. "But there are powers beyond us that even you can't save me from, and I don't want you to blame yourself for that."

Matt's head snapped around to face Jeff again, an alarmed expression on his face. He dreaded implications of Jeff's words.

"What are you saying, Jeff?" Matt asked softly.

Before answering Jeff walked up to stand face to face with his brother. In keeping his promise to his mother, he carefully took Matt's face in between his hands and gently kissed his older brother on the forehead. "I'm saying I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll be all right." Jeff did his best to keep his voice from shaking, "That everything will be all right for you."

It hit Matt like a ton of bricks. His little brother was trying to prepare him for death. Jeff's death. The terrible realization seized Matt's heart like an iron vice threatening to squeeze it dry. All he could utter was a choked up "No…"

"Promise me!" Jeff insisted, trying to make his voice as forceful as possible, though it was on the verge of breaking.

Matt wrapped his arms around his little brother as tears spilled down his cheeks. "No, Jeff! You can't leave me...not yet..."

"Matt, please, please! Promise me!" Jeff rasped, more urgently than ever. "Promise me you'll be alright!"

After a few sobs, Matt got them under control enough to step back and look his brother in the eye. "I promise…"

"Good…" Jeff smiled sadly as he took a step back towards a cliff, the edge of the island, the edge over nothingness. The turned around and stared down at the endless floor of stars. He took in a deep breath and raised the "Hardy Gunz," before jumping off the edge in the biggest Swanton Bomb of his life.

"JEFF!"

000

Matt opened his eyes to complete pandemonium. Several physicians and nurses were moving in and around Jeff, shouting orders and equipment needs every which way. However, even above the cacophony, one piercing sound cut straight through. It was the sound of the flat line on Jeff's heart rate monitor.

Matt's eyes widened in horror as he looked from the heart monitor to his little brother's body. "No! Jeff!"

The older Hardy tried to get to Jeff's side, but he was stopped by one of the nurses. "Sir, please, we need you out of the room! We need room to work."

"No!" Matt protested. "I need to be with him! I can't let him die alone!" The older Hardy was quickly falling into panic.

Fortunately, Maria was just outside, to offer the medical staff help in calming the hysterical Matt. The diva grabbed onto the older Hardy's arm. "Matt, please! We need to let them do their job! They could still save Jeff!"

Her last few words struck through Matt like an electric shock. The idea that there was still hope for Jeff was too good to be true, but he had to cling to it. He slowly nodded his head and followed Maria outside of the room.

Through the window they watched as the medical team bustled about Jeff. They were his only chance. Matt looked away when the doctor brought out the AED from the crash cart.

It was now down to those seven people in the room and their machine to resurrect Jeff's body, so it could once again house his soul.

There was the sudden yell of "CLEAR!" The young Hardy's body convulsed as electric shocks streamed through his form. There was moment of arrested silence afterwards, as all eyes shifted to the heart monitor.

Matt felt his heart sink even lower into despair as the line remained flat and the medical team resumed their dance.

Suddenly, Taker came through the door of the ICU. When he saw the seen before him he could only shake his head in dismay. "Damn it… It was too much…"

"What do you know Taker?" Maria asked hesitantly. "What happened to Jeff?"

Taker sighed wearily. "He tried to return to his body, but it was too much of a shock for his body to handle."

"So he's really gone then…" Matt rasped.

"I won't lie to you," Taker said gravely. "Unless those people in there can pull off a miracle…" he trailed off as Maria began to cry on Matt's shoulder.

The older Hardy was so overwhelmed at the prospect of his worst nightmare turning into a harsh reality that he was in too much shock to cry.

Matt looked back into the room, where the medical team was applying another round of CPR to Jeff, before administering more shocks. He took in a deep shaky breath and let it out. "Jeff, don't worry. I'll keep my promise. I'll be all right, everything will be all right…" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

There was another loud call of "CLEAR," a beep and a dull thud as Jeff's body convulsed from the shocks. Again there was a hush in the room as all focus shifted to the monitor.

Still there was nothing...

As the seconds ticked by, hope seemed to tick away, but just as the medical team was about to give it a final try, the piercing scream of the flat line was cut off by a soft blip…

A heartbeat…

000

_Signs of life come from Jeff's body…But is he truly alive…?_


	26. The End

_**Disclaimer:**__ All WWE content is owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon and any use here is purely for entertainment value only. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**Summary:**__ Jeff Hardy has been chosen to be the human host that would allow the demon keeper of the seventh layer of hell to enter the realm of Earth. In fighting for his life Jeff has some unexpected allies. Featuring: Matt Hardy, Undertaker, Kane, Batista, Umaga, John Cena, Ashley, Maria, Edge..._

_**NOTE:**__ This fic is written with the assumption, that Jeff, Edge, and Umaga are still on RAW, and Matt, Kane, the Boogeyman and the Undertaker are still on Smackdown, and that Undertaker is still the World Heavyweight Champion and Matt and Jeff are still the Tag-Team Champions._

000

Matt looked back into the room, where the medical team was applying another round of CPR to Jeff, before administering more shocks. He took in a deep shaky breath and let it out. "Jeff, don't worry. I'll keep my promise. I'll be all right, everything will be all right…" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

There was another loud call of "CLEAR," a beep and a dull thud as Jeff's body convulsed from the shocks. Again there was a hush in the room as all focus shifted to the monitor.

Still there was nothing...

As the seconds ticked by, hope seemed to tick away, but just as the medical team was about to give it a final try, the piercing scream of the flat line was cut off by a soft blip…

A heartbeat…

"All right, people," said one of the physicians. "Let's not lose these tones."

Matt let out the breath he had been holding. Jeff wasn't dead…yet...

"Well, I'll be damned…" Taker murmured with a smirk. "Medical science cheats Grim again."

In the room, Jeff's body came alive, frantically coughing and, gasping as his lungs had been slapped awake by his newly revived heart. They helped Jeff sit up as he opened his eyes and continued coughing. After awhile the coughs turned into rushed ragged breaths and hen gradually slowed down to a rate where he could talk.

Jeff looked around at all of the strangers in the room, still trying to catch his breath. "Where…is…?"

"Sir...Sir... What's your name? Your full name?" one of the nurses asked, testing Jeff's mental faculties now that he was conscious.

Jeff shook his head to clear it. "Jeffery Nero Hardy," he answered softly.

"That's right, sir." The nurse patted him on the shoulder.

"Where's…? Where's Matt…?" Jeff rasped, still looking around.

One of the physicians motioned for Matt to come in. If there hadn't been a bunch of people and IVs all over the place, the older Hardy might have dashed right in there at top speed, but chose instead not to cause more trouble for the people who had just brought his brother back to life.

A huge smile spread across Jeff's face when Matt came in and reached out a hand toward him. "Matt… Am I really alive?"

Matt interlaced his fingers with Jeff's and nodded, too overcome to speak.

One of the nurses pulled out an IV from Jeff's other arm.

"Ow!" Jeff yelped at the sudden removal of the needle. The exclamation moved Jeff's ribs whose cartilage had been cracked in order administer CPR, causing even more pain. "Yeah…I'm alive…" he rasped.

"I still can't believe you are," Matt said softly after finding his voice again. "For a few seconds I thought I'd lost you." He carefully hugged Jeff so as not to impinge upon his already abused chest.

Jeff smiled and rested his head against Matt's shoulder. "Yeah, me too… Hey is that Maria out there by any chance?"

"Yup!" Maria called out, and came over to him. She had been waiting by the door the whole time. "I was so worried, Jeff, don't you ever go into cardiac arrest again!"

Jeff chuckled, even though the laugh made his chest hurt a lot, he didn't mind. He wanted to laugh again. He was alive and had his brother and his best girl at his side.

It was good to be alive…

000

Jeff winced as his ribs screamed in protest at being moved, while he pulled on his shirt. The nurses had wrapped his chest in order to keep everything in place, but there wasn't anything else they could do, the ribs had to heal on their own.

At least he was able to put his own clothes back on and was cleared to leave the hospital. They had kept him an extra day to monitor his condition and for a rib x-ray, as well as a few tests to check and make sure his heart was working properly again.

"Need some help there?" Matt asked, on seeing his little brother wince.

"Nah, I'm alright." Jeff waved it off. "Luckily it's warm outside so I won't need a coat."

Matt chuckled.

Jeff sat there on the bed, just thinking over the events of the last two months. He got up and walked over to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. He lifted up his shirt so he could see his abdomen, it was clean of the demonic tattoo Chiron had put on him at the beginning.

"Was it all just a dream?" Jeff murmured, lowering his shirt.

"It was no dream," Matt shook his head. "It was a nightmare."

"But it was real, right?" Jeff looked back at him. "I mean, now that it's over, it's hard to believe it really happened."

"Yeah, it was pretty surreal wasn't it?" Matt said thoughtfully.

"Yeah…" Jeff shoved his hands into his pockets. When he did so, he felt something soft and warm under his right hand. He pulled it out. It was a glimmering white feather.

"Where'd you get that? Starting a feather collection?" Matt laughed.

Jeff swallowed hard. "Matt… When I was out I had this dream where I saw Mom. She was an angel and we talked and I told her everything. But she already knew; she's been watching us since she died."

Matt's eyes widened, and he let out a breathy chuckle. "I guess we think alike, I had a dream like that too. I watched you talking to her."

"But that isn't all, Matt," Jeff continued, still gazing at the feather. "I touched her wings and accidentally pulled out a feather. She told me to keep it. It was no dream, man, she was there."

The older Hardy's jaw dropped at the gravity of what Jeff just said. If his little brother had said the same thing only two months ago, he would have waved it off as just one of Jeff's thoughtful musings, but now after all the supernatural occurrences that had happened to them, he believed.

Matt reached out and ran the back of his hand against the feather. "An angel…" he whispered. "I knew she would be."

"Here, Matt." Jeff put the feather in his brother's hand. "You take it."

Matt looked down at the feather and back at Jeff. "But she gave it to you."

Jeff shook his head and smiled. "I think she'd want you to have it, since she didn't get to see you."

"Thanks, Jeff," Matt said softly, very touched by his little brother's gesture.

There was a knock at the door that made both Hardys jump. They were even more surprised when they found Kane, standing in the door way.

"Hey, Kane," Jeff greeted him good-naturedly, after all Kane and Taker had done for him, the younger Hardy had ceased to be afraid of the Brothers of Destruction, at least outside the ring. "What brings you by?"

"Taker wanted me to make sure you weren't dead again." Kane shrugged. "He's busy helping Vince explain what happened went down to the media."

"I was wondering how that was going to be handled," Matt pondered.

"Not the first time he's had to do that, with the work we do," Kane stated. "How's your heart, Jeff?"

"Fine." Jeff grinned. "EKG and all that stuff was normal."

Matt swallowed hard and asked Kane the question that had been troubling the back of his mind since Jeff's resurrection. "Is Jeff all right? I mean beyond the physical stuff the doctors can check. Is this nightmare really over?"

"Chiron is being punished by the other hell keepers for his treachery; he won't be bothering Jeff or anyone else for that matter," Kane answered with a smug smile on his face.

"So it is over." Matt sighed in relief.

"At least for now," Jeff said, smirking. "Who knows what lies ahead for us? Let's just enjoy the good times, man. While we have them."

Matt smiled. "That's the spirit." He gave Jeff a friendly slap on the back, causing the young Hardy to let out a startled cry of pain as his broken ribs did not like the resulting shockwave from the slap one bit.

"Oh god your ribs, I'm sorry!" Matt panicked.

"Calm down, Matt," Jeff said softly so that he wouldn't have to inhale as much. "It's not that bad. I've had a lot worse pain than this."

"Jeff, don't move," Kane said as he placed a hand on the younger Hardy's chest. "I'm technically not supposed to do this, so I can't say what I am going to do, but you're just going to have to trust me."

Jeff smiled. "After everything you guys have done for me, I'm not going to question you."

Kane nodded, closing his eyes and, concentrating. There was an eerie cracking sound and Jeff gasped as his breath seized and his whole body trembled.

"What are you doing to him?!" Matt shouted.

Kane ignored him and focused for a few more seconds, before pulling his hand away. "That ought to do it."

"Do what? What did you do?!" Matt demanded franticly.

"I can breathe again," Jeff beamed at Kane. "My ribs are okay, thanks, man!"

"Don't thank me!" Kane snapped briskly. "This never happened; I didn't do anything for you just now, got that?"

Both Hardys nodded.

With that Kane gave a firm nod back. He turned on his heel and headed out the door, almost running into Maria on his way out. The girl glanced nervously at Kane, before slipping into the room.

"Ashley's got the car ready outside, now let's get Jeff out of here," she said excitedly, kissing the younger Hardy on the cheek.

"Amen, no matter how many times I've been in the hospital for my injuries, they still kinda give me the creeps." Matt shivered a little.

"I think it's all the bad memories," Jeff said with a sigh. "Mom's death, dad's heart attack, all our injuries, but like it or not, they did save my life."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'm forever grateful for that, but all the same, let's go home."

It would have only taken them a few minutes to get down to the car, but they made a quick stop to personally thank the attending physician who had lead the charge, so to speak, in saving Jeff's life.

When they finally exited the hospital, they spotted Ashley parked nearby. Jeff and Maria climbed into the back seat of the car, while Matt rode shotgun next to Ashley.

The older Hardy put on his seatbelt and then looked around to the backseat. He smiled when he saw Jeff now had his head contentedly resting in Maria's lap.

When he turned back around, Matt briefly wondered what Vince and Taker were going to tell the media about all this. Probably something about a weird cult having an obsession with celebrities and they wanted to use Jeff in their ritual for some reason. Either way it didn't really matter now, his little brother was safe and alive, and that was all that mattered. The older Hardy sighed and leaned back against the seat as Ashley started the car. It was the first time he had truly relaxed since this had all began. He shut his eyes and smiled.

The nightmare was over…

The End.

000

_Thank you! Thank you! My dear readers for sticking with me through this story, with your reviews and comments, they really helped to motivate me to see this story till the and not give up on it!_

_NOTE: The scene where Jeff is revived by the medical team is partially inspired by a true life incident. I'm currently working a student X-ray Technologist at a hospital. While I was there one day, a patient in one of the other x-ray rooms (thankfully not in mine) had a heartattack. I kind of watched from a distance as the Code Blue Team ran in with their equipment and revived the patient. It was just amazing that these human beings, not angels, not reapers, not magical beings, just human, could save another human's life. Literally bringing him back from the dead, I mean when your heart stops, you're dead, and it's up to a team people to bring you back to life. And for this patient they were successful._

_This chapter is a nod to those healthcare professionals, to whom saving lives is an everyday thing, but are heros none the less to the people they save._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Vega Sailor_


End file.
